Morior est Vivo
by Mamma4ever
Summary: To Die is to Live – Both lost and alone, and from completely different worlds, Bella and Edward find out how to truly live, but first, they must both face death. AU
1. Facing Death

**Morior est Vivo**

To Die is to Live – Both lost and alone, and from completely different worlds, Bella and Edward find out how to truly live, but first, they must both face death.

Welcome to my newest fic… my first attempt at AU. Let's see how you like it *grin*

My LC (literary crew) is a bit smaller for this fic, but they are still just as special. So, many, many thanks to Alitriona/Eila – she is more of a co-writer than anything, but she refuses to let me give her credit for that. She still prefers to be called an idea-bouncer-offer. LOL! Allysue08 and Rags88 are still my wonderful betas. Don't let Allysue tell you she isn't a beta. She is the one who notices my inconsistencies. She has saved me from a few very humiliating situations ;) I will never forget the virginity incident! LOL! And, last, but DEFINITELY not least, WhatObsession17 is my pre-reader/response tester. If she freaks out, I know it's read to post! *hehe*

And as with all of my writing, I am only leasing SMs characters. I don't think there will be any in this one that I own alone. *sad face*

**Facing Death**

The streets of Forks were completely lifeless. Every business was closed. Every home was empty. Every playground was bare.

The entire population of 3,120 people was gathered in La Push.

Their beloved Chief of Police, Charlie Swan, had passed away. Best friends of Chief Swan, the Quileutes, were having a ceremony of sorts, commemorating the journey of their lifelong neighbor. Friend. Brother. Not one solitary resident of Forks would have dared miss it. Chief Swan loved everyone and was loved right back. He had been the chief for so long that not a nary soul could remember a time when he wasn't. Or at least they didn't care to. He would be hard to replace.

The ceremony was a typical Native American Pow Wow. Bonfires, music, dancing. Peyote. Charlie would roll over in his grave if he knew they were celebrating his life by smoking that 'poison' as he so often put it. After seeing how the kids on the Rez acted when they were high on it, he made Bella promise to never touch the stuff. That was a promise she would always keep. Just for him.

In the midst of the ceremony sat Bella, Charlie's only daughter. Her father had told her that when the time came for him to leave the earth, he didn't want her to mope around as if her life were over.

"It's a part of life, Bells," Charlie had told her one day, which felt like ages ago. In reality, it was merely six months prior. The same day Bella's world had come crashing down.

_oOoOoOoO_

"I don't understand, Dad. How could it have progressed so quickly?" she had asked of her father upon hearing the news.

Charlie hung his head. "Well, Bells. You see…you had so much going on. I didn't want to burden you. I didn't want to keep you from graduating, and I know you. If you knew something was wrong, you would have come straight home and given up your degree. I wasn't having it. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. You mean everything to me."

It was too much for her. The realization that her father had known for a while. He kept it from her. He knew there was a chance she wouldn't see him again before he died, and he kept it from her. He was so incredibly thoughtful. So incredibly self-sacrificing. So incredibly stupid.

"So, what? You thought that I would just like to find out one day when someone from the Rez calls me and says, 'Hey, your dad finally kicked the bucket from that disease he's had for the last several years. Oh, you didn't know? What a shame. You'd think, as his daughter, you would know things like that.'"

She knew it was harsh, but she couldn't help but feel betrayed by her father. Her rock. The center of her universe.

"Aww, Bells, don't be like that. The doc told me I had two to five years. You only had a year left until you graduated, so I knew I had time. I was gonna tell you as soon as you had that degree in your hand."

Bella looked at Charlie in disbelief. "Sure you were, Dad. You were gonna congratulate me and then tell me you were dying. That sounds about right."

"Well, it's water under the bridge. Let's make the most of the time we have left together. You have your graduation next week and then you can spend some time with your old man before you run off to the big city and pursue that dream of yours."

Bella's eyes welled up with tears for the hundredth time that day. "What will I do without you, Pops? I don't have anyone. I only have you. I can't bear a world where you aren't in it."

"You have all of your buddies on the Rez. What about Jake?"

Bella laughed through her tears. "You know as well as I do that Jake's stuck so far up Leah's ass that he doesn't know if it's morning or night. Besides, no one can take your place in my life. No one knows all of my secrets like you do. No one else misses Mom as much as I do."

That night, Bella curled up into Charlie's side and cried until she fell asleep. The doctor said Charlie didn't have much longer. His ALS* had progressed much more quickly than ever expected – especially for such a 'healthy young man'.

Charlie's 'not much longer' ended up being five months, two weeks, and three days. Bella spent every available minute with him. And it still wasn't enough.

_OoOoOoOoO_

Bella had tried hard not to cry, knowing it was what Charlie would have wanted, but he should have known better than to ask that of her; Bella cried when she watched movies like 'My Dog Skip' or 'Old Yeller'. Movies where animals died. How could he have expected her not to cry when _he_ died.

But she did her best. She sang Charlie's favorite songs along with the rest of the group. She had a few drinks 'in his name' and she skinned a fish in his honor – all part of the Quileute ritual, which had been adapted for the favored police chief.

However, once the time came for Charlie's ashes to be scattered, it took two Quileute boys to help Bella make the trek to the top of the highest cliff so she could do the honors of releasing them. Twice, her legs buckled beneath her, until the boys finally took the brunt of her weight upon their shoulders, practically carrying her up the hill.

As Bella stood at the edge of the cliff – still unable to bear her own weight – she looked out upon the ocean she and her father had frequented throughout her life, and she wept. She cried for her father. She cried for her mother. She cried for her memories, good and bad. She cried for the future she could no longer see. But most of all, she cried for the isolation that had suddenly been thrust upon her at the tender age of twenty-four.

Bella lifted the urn to her mouth, placing a gentle kiss upon the lid, and whispered words of adoration to the most cherished person in her life.

Billy Black led the Quileutes in a somber chant, to release Charlie's spirit upon the earth, as Bella lifted the lid, tilted the container, and let the wind carry his ashes out to sea.

8o8o8o8o8o8

One hundred fifty-two miles away, the atmosphere was a stark contrast to that which was in La Push. Seattle, Washington, was not a safe place at this point in time. Evil was running amok throughout the streets. But what was worse; no one knew.

Especially not Edward Masen.

Edward was a very handsome man. He was also a cocky bastard. Women drooled at his feet, and he used it to his advantage. Only women who he felt could rectify his desires were approached by him. But he wasn't always picky. It depended on how he wished to have his _appetite_ curbed. For instance, a simple blow job could be given by any willing skank around. However, if he wanted something more – perhaps actual penetration – well, then that would take a much finer specimen.

Tonight was one of those nights, when he felt the need to be buried deep inside some sweet, hot piece of ass.

Edward had always been exceptional at reading people. No one knew why or how, but it was almost as if he could feel their thoughts just by looking at their body movement, or looking into their eyes. Over the years, he had nearly perfected it, making it so that he rarely ever had to actually _hear_ his subordinate speak. In fact, he usually warned them to keep their mouth shut. The women rarely complained. They knew he was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and they were willing to go to great measures to reap the benefits of his womanizing ways. This simply caused him to become more of an arrogant, acrimonious asshole.

From his cozy little corner, Edward perused the seedy, dilapidated hellhole for his next conquest. He had been seated in his usual booth in the far back of the establishment for nearly two hours. He was starting to get impatient. Beyond a bit intoxicated, he had begun to contemplate settling for a less optimal tart for the evening before he was too far gone to even acquire a semi.

Lucky for him – or at least so _he_ thought – that very second he was awarded with the solution to his predicament. An exquisite ethereal goddess walked through the front door, and her gaze landed right on him. Using his perfected _gift_ of reading people, he knew she was ready and willing.

He stood up and dropped a wad of cash on the table, not even caring to see how much. There was something about that woman that drew him in. As if he were being pulled by a steel cord, he walked directly up to her. She smiled and released a breath, fanning his face with her sweet scent, and captivating him even more. No words were exchanged – she simply turned on her feet and he followed.

Barely fifteen steps from the entrance out of which they had just walked, she abruptly turned into the adjacent alley.

_Hmm, she can't wait to get a piece of me,_ Edward thought as he quickly began to unbutton his pants.

Before he could even fathom what was happening, she had him pinned against the wall. She wasn't gentle, but Edward couldn't help but be turned on by her aggression. He had never had a woman dominate him before – he had never thought he would enjoy it. He was wrong.

He tentatively reached forward, and began unbuttoning her blouse. She halted his progress by grabbing his wrists. The unexpected contact made him hiss – her hands were like ice.

She shifted so she had her back to him, and grabbed his wrists once more. As she brought his hands around her, under her shirt and up to cup her breasts – which were _also_ ice cold – she shoved her ass into him. He groaned and squeezed her tits. He had _always_ been an ass man.

As he manipulated her nipples between his fingers, she begun to shimmy out of her pants. He didn't even have to interrupt his ministrations to take off his own, because she was able to reach back and…

_Shit! She fucking ripped my jeans… how in the hell?_ Edward wondered to himself.

She reached back with one of her freezing hands and wrapped it around his cock. He jumped in shock, but then she began to stroke, and the friction, along with the coolness, caused his eyes to roll into the back of his head, and he quickly relaxed, thoroughly enjoying himself.

He enjoyed himself so much in fact, that he hadn't even registered that she had slipped his dick inside of her until she began thrusting herself back against him. He tried to push her off of him, but she was lost in her movements, and she was unnaturally strong.

He grunted. "Stop…ugh…I need to put…shit, ugh…I need a…damn, so good…FUCK! I need a condom!" He was not willing to take a chance on getting some two-bit hooker disease from this bitch. She might be a knockout, but she didn't even need to be seduced into fucking. Hell, he hadn't even heard her speak.

But when she did, he was drawn in yet again. "Don't worry, Sugar. That thin piece of latex can't protect you from what's coming tonight. Just go with it. Trust me; you will thank me for this in a few minutes." The whole time she spoke, she continued to thrust into him. Each time with more force than before.

Edward was too far gone to give a fuck by this point. He was only seconds away from climaxing, and oblivious to everything else except for the feeling currently taking up residence in his groin.

The woman reached back, grabbing him by his hips and slammed him further into her. He nearly screamed at the sensation. Never in his life had he been able to give it to a woman like this, and it was beyond amazing.

Two more thrusts and they both came, breathlessly crying out expletives.

Edward was spent. He barely noticed when she pulled away from him. Lazily, he let his head fall back against the brick wall as he tried to zip his jeans, completely forgetting that She-Ra in front of him had ripped them.

_Damn it, those were brand new jeans, _Edward mentally groaned.

The woman turned around, smirking evilly, and stepped up closer to Edward, until her chest was flush with his. "Was that good for you? Best fuck you've ever had? Just thought I'd make this a tad bit easier on you." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, and I was horny, and you're cute enough."

She leaned forward, brushed his neck with her lips and whispered, "When you come to, just remember: The name's Victoria. Look me up, and our next fuck will blow your mind."

**What do you think? As with all of my stories, I will give you a teaser to next week's chapter for a review.**

See ya next Tuesday!


	2. Life After Death

Thank you to my wonderful LC – Alitriona/Eila, Allysue08, Rags88, and WhatObsession17! I love you all, and you make this fic readable! :)

Still SM's characters unfortunately.

**Life After Death**

The pain was excruciating. It had started at his neck, where Victoria had bit him. Edward didn't even have the mental capacity to call her a bitch like he normally would have. The pain was so intense that he had lost all thought processes besides anguish. Losing all ability to stand, he fell to the ground. He couldn't scream. He couldn't writhe in agony. He lay there completely motionless – but not for a lack of trying. He simply was frozen. In fear. In misery. In denial.

He wasn't even sure what had just happened. He knew the woman had bitten him, he was sure of that, but he couldn't figure out what the hell had happened next. At first he had thought that it had something to do with him being post coital, but the pain coursing throughout his body shot that thought all to hell and back. It felt like molten lava was being coerced through his veins – and slowly, at that.

Hours passed, maybe even days – he wasn't certain. At some point, for the briefest of moments, he was almost positive that he had felt the sun on his face, but he couldn't be too sure. He wasn't thoroughly coherent, even when he _was_ somewhat able to focus.

Still unable to move, Edward tried to force his mind away from the pain. It was incredibly difficult, but if he were to have any hopes of getting through this, he would have to accomplish this one thing. With much effort, he opened his eyes. There was no light in the alley – he could tell – but yet he was still able to see minute details around him. It was almost as if there had been a tiny nightlight illuminating the area from a distance.

A rancid, putrid odor began seeping into his nostrils, and he concluded that it must be a nearby dumpster. He could smell the pungency of alcohol, but it didn't entice him the way it usually did. In fact, it had quite the opposite effect; it repulsed him. However, he kept getting a brief whiff of another scent. A fragrance he had never smelled before. It was mouth watering. The aroma was more tempting than the most succulent steak he had ever tasted.

He wanted to get to the smell so badly that he was actually able to make one of his fingers move. Only slightly, but at least it was movement. It spurred him to keep trying, so he started focusing on the individual muscles throughout his body. Once he focused on his toes and his feet, he realized there was no longer pain there. He concentrated on moving each toe, one by one. After he was certain he had moved all ten of them, he moved his entire foot, first the left, and then the right.

Next, he focused on his fingers. It was a bit harder to work on them, because he could still feel the burning sensation in his hands.

He went through this with every inch of his limbs until he could freely move his arms and legs. It felt like it took him hours – and it quite possibly did. The concept of time eluded him, but he could see that the sky had lightened the slightest bit, signaling that the sun was rising. Another thing he noticed was that the pain had completely subsided in his arms, legs and head. It had all centered in his torso. Unfortunately, the burning had gotten ten times worse, being that it all had gathered in one central location.

Still focusing on trying to move his entire body, Edward was taken by surprise when suddenly every single bit of the burning sensation found its way to the center of his chest – namely his heart. The pain was agonizing, and for the first time since he had been bitten, Edward was able to utter a sound. The ear-piercing shriek of agony startled a few pigeons, making them quickly flutter away in fright.

With every beat of his heart, Edward felt the pain get more and more intense, up to the point where he thought his heart was going to explode right out of his chest. The beating grew faster and faster and faster until –

He couldn't feel the pain anymore; it felt as if it was replaced with a floating, tingling feeling. He was almost sure his heart had stopped beating, but that couldn't be right. Had he died? Was he actually watching himself in spirit form?

Testing for himself, he took a deep breath. It was an extremely peculiar feeling. He didn't feel any sort of relief from breathing. It was almost as if he didn't need…

_Hmmm,_ he thought. _I wonder…_

He closed off his lungs to see how long he could go before gasping for breath. Seventy-five seconds and he still had no need to respire. None whatsoever. Eventually he took a breath, just out of mere habit more than anything.

Finally rising up to completely take in his surroundings, he opened his eyes again – wider this time – and he had to blink several times. Again, the feeling was incredibly foreign to him. He didn't blink because his eyes were dry and he needed the lubricant. In fact, he could tell that he would be able to keep his eyes opened indefinitely. No, he blinked because as he looked around, it was as if he were looking through a microscope. The most intricate details were now visible to him. For instance, he could see the ridges and crevices of the bricks with such clarity that it seemed impossible that he was viewing them from over ten feet away.

A pigeon was perched near the top of the four-story building. Edward noticed that he could see each individual barb of every feather on the bird. And upon further inspection, he was even able to see spider mites on the pigeon, and an array of colors he had never realized were buried beneath the dull grey and white that was normally visible. The slightest movement from the fowl caused a cloud of dust to rise around it, which Edward was pretty positive would not be perceptible by the naked eye, and yet there he sat, able to see every speck of dust as if he had the eyes of an eagle.

Edward could hear the distinct warbling the pigeon was making, even though it appeared that the bird was asleep. Focusing his hearing to different areas around him, he could hear movement nearby, the sound of several footsteps at a time. He turned his head in that direction but found nothing. The sound continued, so he looked more closely to see a line of ants making their way across the alley. Surely he wasn't hearing the ants, was he? He placed a pebble in their path, to cause a disturbance in their queue, and sure enough, the sound changed in rhythm.

Suddenly, Edward heard several voices all at once and he tried to cover his ears to squelch the noise, but it was ineffective. It was like being in the middle of the New York Stock Exchanges trading floor during peak hours. The voices were overlapping one another and they weren't very clear, resembling a radio station that was coming in and out of range. He then tried to decipher the sounds one from the other found that he was able to hear conversations.

"_Damn, that woman is so fucking sexy! I wonder if I could get her to make a quick trip to the bathroom with me…"_

"_This fucking loser won't shut the hell up. Doesn't he realize I'm over his self-absorbed talk? I just wanted a free drink, not to hear his life story…"_

"_If I drink one more beer I won't be able to drive home. I better cut tonight short."_

"_God, I hate my job. I'm so sick of serving these losers drink after drink and watching them get so sloppy drunk that they walk out with anything with two legs. Fucking pathetic."_

Edward thought to himself for a moment. The conversations he was hearing sounded too one-sided to make sense. He didn't hear responses to the phrases and some of the things said were too honest, why would someone say these kinds of things out loud? They were more like thoughts than actual spoken words. Surely he couldn't…

_Nah, that's impossible,_ he thought.

Just as that crazy thought entered Edward's mind, he was distracted by a whiff of the mouth-watering aroma he had smelled earlier. He looked in the direction of the scent and noticed a short, rotund, balding man walking by the end of the alley.

"_Another wasted night in that hellhole. I'm never gonna get laid." _He was almost certain the words were coming from the man, but his lips weren't moving.

The smell wafted from the direction of the waddling man. Edward noticed that as the man walked further away, the delicious fragrance went with him. Without further thought, Edward jumped up to follow the man. In the blink of an eye he was standing next to him.

_How in the hell did I get here that fast?_ Edward wondered.

He looked the man over, thinking he must have been carrying something that put out that magnificent redolence. However, the man's hands were empty – the smell was permeating from beneath his skin. The unquenchable desire to feed from this man was too strong, no matter how disgusted Edward was by the mere thought of the act.

He could hear the man's heart start to race, and he felt something similar to his mouth watering, but it wasn't saliva. It was thick and strange tasting, and burned in his throat as it rose.

"_What is the deal with this fucker? He acts like he's crazy and wants to murder me or… fuck, I hope he's not wanting to have sex with me! Fucking creeper!"_

Sure enough, the man's mouth had not moved when he 'said' that. Edward had come to the conclusion that he was, indeed, reading the man's mind – the mind that was currently petrified by Edward's presence.

Edward could no longer resist the urge to sink his teeth into the man. He didn't understand where it was coming from, but it was like he hadn't eaten for days and the most appetizing meal had been lain right in front of him, and he simply couldn't refuse devouring it.

In one fell swoop, he had shoved the man into the nearest dark recess and had his lips wrapped around his jugular as he penetrated his skin with his teeth.

The most delectable taste ever to have graced Edward's taste buds filled his mouth. In a matter of minutes, he had drunk the man dry. He released him and the man's body fell limply to the ground. It was in that moment that Edward became conscious of what he had just done. He dropped to his knees and held his head in his hands. He was disgusted with himself!

_What have I done? I'm a monster! What has happened to me?_ These were the thoughts racing through Edward's mind.

He realized the sun had nearly completely risen, and he needed to get away from the man lying lifeless on the ground before he was noticed and consequently incriminated for the man's murder.

Once again, as he made to move, he was incredibly fast. It took almost as much time for him to move as it did for him to complete the thought of moving. He was out of city limits in a matter of seconds, residing in a vacant lot, processing what had occurred over the last few minutes, hours, days. Nothing made sense.

As he passed by an abandoned car, he caught sight of his reflection. Blood was smeared around his mouth and had dripped onto his shirt. He snarled at the vision in front of him. He _looked_ like a monster. He saw a glimpse of his teeth and froze. He lifted his hand tentatively and inspected them with his fingertips. They were milky white and straight as an arrow. He ran his finger along the edge and hissed, pulling his hand back to examine the digit. He had sliced his fingertip.

_What in the hell? Since when do teeth cut through skin without any force? _he marveled.

He drew back his lips to get a better look at his teeth and could see that they were razor sharp. He suddenly became aware of his facial features. Edward had always known he was a handsome man. The flocks of women who encompassed him were proof of that. But this, this was completely different. His face was perfect. Not a flaw anywhere. The scar on his chin, from a bike wreck in second grade, had disappeared. The cluster of acne scars, that used to reside near his left eye, had vanished as well.

He turned his head from side to side as he looked himself over. He was very pale. More so than he had ever been. His jaw line appeared stronger, his once slightly tilted nose was now perfectly straight, and his lips were fuller, redder.

Just then, the sun, which had since fully risen, peaked out from behind the clouds and when it hit his skin, his reflection sparkled as if it were made of diamonds. He looked down at his arms and hands and sure enough, every inch of skin touched by sunlight sparkled.

_What in the holy hell?_ Edward was completely freaked out. He simply couldn't figure out what had happened to him. He had been _transformed. _He wasn't gonna lie, many of the transformations were wonderful, even amazing, but he wanted an explanation. And why in the hell did he _crave_ human blood? He shuddered as he contemplated this.

He needed to seek out this Victoria woman, but for God's sake not for sex. That bitch was scary. He needed answers, and he was pretty sure she was the only person who could give them to him.

8o8o8o8o8o8

It had only been three days since Charlie's memorial service, but Bella had already packed up all of her things. She had squared things away with Sue Clearwater to visit Charlie's house once a week simply to gather the mail, check for break-ins and whatnot. Several of the boys on the Rez had offered to take turns maintaining the upkeep of the landscaping of Charlie's property. Bella had intended to pay for their services – Sue's _and_ the Quileute boys – but no one would hear of it. Everyone agreed that Charlie had done so much for so many, that it was the least they could do.

With tears in her eyes once again, she locked the door to the house, kissed her fingertips and placed them on the door in a final farewell.

As she drove away from Forks, back to Seattle, Bella spoke to her father.

_I'm so sorry, Dad. I wish we had had more time together. I wish I hadn't had to spend years away at school. I wish Mom had never been in that car all those years ago. I wish you hadn't had to raise me all alone. I wish you hadn't had to die without a wife by your side. I wish a lot of things, but I wish more than anything that I didn't have to live the rest of my life without you by my side. You were my greatest supporter. My biggest admirer. My most adamant cheerleader. I don't know how I will go on without you, but I will try my hardest to make you proud of me. I love you, Daddy._

**Review for next week's teaser :)**


	3. Temptation

As always, thanks to my LC – Alitriona/Eila, Allysue08, Rags88, and WhatObsession17! You guys are definitely my muses and you make my story ten times better! I LOVE YOU!

SM owns, I give them guns and pepper spray. ;)

**Temptation**

As Bella passed the _Welcome to Seattle_ sign, her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. The one thing she hadn't anticipated as she left her father's house was what she was going to do with her life. Sure, she had finished her schooling and gotten her degree, but that was the end of her planning. She had planned to lay low in Forks as she perused her job opportunities via the internet. She had never planned on having to come back and care for her father until he passed away. She never thought he would be gone so soon in her life.

Pulling into the nearest hotel, Bella grabbed her purse, silently thanking her dad for taking out such a large life insurance policy years ago. Truth be told, Bella could lollygag for at least a year without the slightest bit of worry, but she didn't want to do that. She wanted to make it on her own two feet and have her savings as a back-up plan sometime in the future. After seeing what had happened to Charlie and his 'savings' over the past two years, she knew that you could never be too prepared.

Once she was situated in her room, having already ordered from room service, she powered up her laptop. The first place she decided to riff through was the _Seattle Times_' 'Help Wanted' section.

As the screen loaded ever so slowly – thanks to the horrible wireless internet available at the hotel – Bella started to feel sick.

**MASSIVE MURDERS ROCK SEATTLE**

_Great… I picked the perfect place to run away to, _Bella thought sarcastically.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to read the article or not. A part of her knew she should, so that she would know what to expect, but then the other part of her – the logical part – knew that if she read the article she would then be paranoid every time she left the building.

_Yeah right, more like all day, every day… leave the building or not, you'd still be paranoid,_ Bella's snarky mind objected.

Reluctantly, she read the article.

_Terror has racked downtown Seattle in an_

_unprecedented case of multiple murders._

_The County Commission held a debriefing_

_today at City Hall._

_Lieutenant Brown was not available for _

_questioning after his statement. "So far,_

_there have been twenty-one murders_

_reported in the past five weeks, and at_

_least fifteen people have been reported_

_missing. Detectives are investigating the _

_details of the murders. There are definite_

_links and similarities between each of the_

_crime scenes, giving evidence of a_

_possible serial killer. However, the actual_

_murders appear to involve more than one _

_suspect."_

_Lieutenant Brown would not give any more _

_details regarding the crime scenes, simply _

_stating that, "There has been no known _

_similarities in the victims. It appears they are_

_being chosen at random. Possibly out of _

_convenience. Men and women are both _

_being targeted. So far, the majority of the _

_murders are happening after dusk and before _

_dawn, but that is not always the case, so _

_everyone needs to constantly be aware of _

_their surroundings. Until we have more details, _

_please lock your doors – cars and homes – _

_and please do not travel alone. Find a _

_buddy to walk to the parking lot with after_

_work or school. Carpool if at all possible. Do _

_not go anywhere with strangers, and please, _

_do not try to be a hero."_

_If anyone has any information to help the Seattle PD, please call 1-800-4Seattle._

This was not something that a woman who was new to the area, with no friends or even acquaintances, wanted to hear. However, Charlie had always taught Bella to be prepared. A can of pepper spray was in every room of her apartment – when she had one – and she kept a can in her purse, in her gym bag, and in her messenger bag. Anywhere that made it easily accessible. She had taken taekwondo and learned more than was necessary about wielding a weapon. A .45 was always in a lock box under her bed, but even though she had perfected her aim in target practice, she was certain she would never be able to actually take someone's life.

It seemed that Bella was left to fend for herself when it came to her safety. Lucky for her, she had always done better solo – being that she learned quickly and responded to arising problems quickly without the distractions of another person invading her space. She didn't purposely push people away. In fact, she would have loved to have a best friend or even a boyfriend, but every time someone got close enough, they walked away. Apparently, she was a bit too neurotic for their liking. Yes, she was a bit of a perfectionist. She was never a quitter, and she was quite obsessive with things going the way she planned.

As she continued on to the classifieds section of the website, something rather distasteful occurred to her. Twenty-one people dead, another fifteen missing… that's thirty-six positions needing filled. What if the position Bella obtained just happened to belong to one of the victims?

Suddenly, the thought of being a loafer sounded incredibly delightful. Well, at least she could wait until the city was safer before she went out looking for a job. However, she wasn't sure if she wanted to spend her time in a hotel. Then again, she would be surrounded by people, and there were doormen, and clerks at the counter, so coming and going would be fairly safe. She weighed out the pros and cons of 'living' in a hotel and talked herself into it, at least for the time being.

Someone knocked on the door, causing Bella to yelp, and when the person called out, "Room service," she felt like a fool.

_See? This is why reading that article was a bad idea, _she berated herself.

The guy received a big tip as compensation for her screaming and probably scaring him more than he scared her. Curling up on the bed with her food, she began searching through the channels on the television, before finally finding the one where you could order movies. She began flipping through them, nothing sounding interesting at all. That is, until she saw _Phantom of the Opera_ – her most favorite movie of all time.

Watching Gerard Butler serenade Emmy Rossum was magical. In reality, watching Gerard Butler serenading a turnip would probably be just as magical. That man was the epitome of sex on a stick.

As always, Bella sang along with every song, cried at the end, and fell asleep shortly after, only to dream that she was indeed Christine Daeé being serenaded by the Phantom.

However, _this_ night her dreams were not filled with happiness.

_Beautiful creature of darkness_

_What kind of life have you known?_

_God, give me courage to show you_

_You are not alone_

_Bella walks timidly through the calm water to where the Phantom stands waiting patiently for her. Once she reaches her destination, standing obligingly in front of this magical being, he bends down quickly, lowering his lips to capture hers in a passionate kiss. As they break the searing kiss, she looks up into his dark eyes, noticing the predatory glint emanating from them. Before she has time to process it, his hands roughly bury themselves into her thick hair, forcing her head to the side, giving him access to her fragile neck. He growls menacingly and sinks his teeth into her tender flesh. It's not a sexual bite, or a teasing bite. No, it's a malicious bite, and she can suddenly feel the life being drained from her, drop by agonizing drop. _

_She desperately tries to cry out, but she has no voice. Her vocal cords have been cut off. She starts feeling weak, as if all of her blood is being drained…_

8o8o8o8o8o8

Ten days had gone by. Ten days of Bella being cooped up in a hotel room with no human contact. Well, with the exception of the housekeeper and room service. To be honest, she was starting to think the housekeepers were trying to avoid her. They kept coming to clean later and later in the day, and cleanup times became shorter and shorter. It's not like Bella really needed the housekeeper anyway, she just wanted someone to talk to, which seemed like the very thing the housekeepers were trying to avoid.

So Bella decided this would be the day she would venture out into the city. She made sure to have her pepper spray and yes, even her .45. Loaded, but with the safety on. It was daytime, so she was fairly sure that she would be safe, but the reports had repeatedly mentioned that there were few cases of attacks during the day.

Bella walked out of the building and smiled almost as brightly as the sun was shining. Never before had she been an outdoorsy person, but ten days inside sure made you appreciate nature. Even if it _was_ smog-infested, dirty, man-polluted nature.

After ordering a Venti Caramel Macchiato and a tuna melt Panini from the local Starbucks, she ate rather quickly, wanting to explore more of the city while it was daylight.

Hours passed as she roamed Seattle. She did massive amounts of window shopping, not wanting to fill her arms with purchases in case she did happen to come across any danger.

About two miles from the hotel, the sky started to fill with dark rain clouds. Hoping to beat the storm, she started walking back in the direction of the hotel, but it didn't look too promising. She walked quickly, weaving in and out of passersby on the sidewalks. It started to sprinkle, so she decided to take a shortcut through a few alleys, cutting her travel time nearly in half.

Sprinting through the first alley, she had one hand on her pepper spray and the other hand on her holster. By the time she made it to the second alley, the rain was coming down briskly. She was nearing the end of the third alley when she saw a man turn abruptly around and murderously stare at her.

8o8o8o8o8o8

Try as he might, Edward could not resist the temptation to drink from humans. He had searched and searched for the fiery-haired succubus named Victoria, but he never found her. Yes, he had deemed her as a succubus, even though he had no idea what she truly was. She had seemed like a demon and she _did_ have sexual intercourse with him – although he hadn't been sleeping. Maybe that wasn't a requirement. How was he to know?

Speaking of sleeping; that was something he could no longer do. He had no need for it; even when he was bored and wanted to sleep, it would not come to him.

Despite having lost the ability to sleep, other natural urges were still very prominent. He found himself falling further and further into this monstrous abyss of insatiable hunger. Unfortunately, the more frequently he drank from humans, the more he desired their blood. He had started to become less cautious about how he obtained his next meal. A few times he was nearly discovered. The hunger took over his thoughts, his actions, his emotions. It drove him forward, feeding against his will on the unsuspecting, the weak, the powerless.

Every time after feeding, he hated himself a little more. He was truly a monster. He felt enormous guilt, but yet, it would not stop him when the hunger took over.

Ten days had passed, and he had killed eleven men. _Eleven._ It disgusted him. And it wasn't from need. He had no hunger, no need, when he had walked alone, where no humans tread – because, yes, he had come to the conclusion he must no longer be regarded as a human. Besides drinking from humans, he never hungered or thirsted for food or drink. At all. Ever. But when he caught the scent – the delicious aroma – of their blood, pumping, pumping, pumping through their veins, that's when the hunger took over. He had no control over himself.

Edward had been waiting for the clouds to cover the sun. The news had forecasted a storm coming at precisely three-thirty. Although, when was a weatherman ever precise? He had been waiting because, like a fool, he had been traveling through the city when the sun had started to rise, causing him to have to duck into a condemned building until the sun would hide behind the clouds.

As he was just about to step out of the alley he was currently in, the wind shifted and a scent hit him like a ton of bricks. If blood smelled like a succulent steak, this smelled like the world's finest cut of meat, cooked to perfection, with a side of shrimp, caviar, and lobster, followed by the oldest bottle of Domaine Romanée-Conti. It was exquisite. It was heavenly. It was _tantalizing._

Edward instantly turned to find the source of the flavor invading his senses.

A woman. _Damn it all to hell and back._

Edward had been very careful to only kill men. Sure, men are people, too, but he felt a strange sense of inculpability from only attacking men, as if it wasn't as despicable if he didn't murder women. It was true, that he tried to listen to their thoughts and only feed from those guilty of vile transgressions, but even that was very difficult when the hunger took over.

The cards must have been stacked against him. That was the only explanation for it being a woman possessing the most scrumptious odor ever to assault his olfactories. He tried to will his body to walk away. _Not a woman. Not a woman, please, _he begged. But that smell put his muscles into action. His fingers curled in a claw-like gesture. His lip snarled reflexively. He leaned forward into a crouching position. The whole time, he was telling his body to turn and run away. Far, far away from this temptress in front of him.

A growl escaped from his throat and he began stalking toward her.

The woman pulled out her pepper spray and shouted, "Don't come any closer! I'm warning you! This sprays twenty feet… one, one more step and… you better stop!"

Edward continued slinking toward her, slowly – excruciatingly slowly. Thunder clapped, startling both of them for the briefest moment. The rain was coming down in sheets, but it didn't deter either of them from their intentions.

From years of practice, Bella was meticulously accurate in the distance of twenty feet, so the very second the man stepped over that invisible boundary, she unloaded the whole can into his eyes and nostrils. She unloaded the whole can, because it wasn't stopping him. He simply wiped his eyes and continued to stealthily walk toward her. Shaking, she reached for her .45. _Focus, Bella. Your life depends on it. Deep breaths, _she mentally chanted.

Lifting the Magnum out of its holster and simultaneously releasing the safety, she aimed at the man who had stepped another two feet in her direction.

Edward stopped momentarily, looking questioningly at the hand cannon the woman was wielding. Did she honestly think she was going to be able to shoot that monstrosity? It was a miracle that she could even hold it up; there was no way she was going to be able to actually _shoot_ the dang thing. He would have laughed if he wasn't being pulled to her like a moth to a flame, uncontrollably, irresistibly, mesmerizingly.

As fast as humanly possible, Bella cocked her gun, hoping beyond all hope he would catch her drift and realize she _was_ going to shoot him. But apparently he thought she couldn't handle her weapon of choice, because he smirked and continued to walk toward her.

Opting to shoot him in the knee – to be more of a humanitarian – she lowered the barrel, took aim, checked his gaze one more time for assurance that he wasn't going to back down, and she fired off one round, hitting him dead center in the kneecap.

"FUCK! You shot me!" Edward screamed, but she couldn't hear him due to the ringing in her ears from firing the Magnum. _Dang, forgot about that, _she grumbled to herself.

Edward looked down at his knee, expecting for his entire leg to be missing, but his limb was fully intact. His jeans, however, were not. The bullet had torn through the pants, and…

"Holy shit! Would you look at that?" The bullet had only slightly penetrated Edward's knee. He bent over to pull it out and as he did, the woman took advantage of his distraction and side kicked him right in the knee she had just shot. Edward didn't even feel it.

But Bella did. It felt as if she had just side-kicked a brick building. She stumbled briefly, having put all of her force into that kick, only to be met with an extreme amount of resistance. Not one to give up, however, she then landed an elbow strike to the back of his head.

Two things happened concurrently: Bella felt her elbow shatter, causing the most intense pain to shoot through her arm as she screamed out, and Edward took a deep breath just as the blood escaped from the gash on her elbow, causing his _hunger_ for her to triple in intensity.

He grabbed her head and sunk his teeth into her throat so quickly that neither one of them had enough time to register what was happening.

Edward was in heaven, drinking the milk of the gods, while Bella was in hell, pain searing through her neck.

Oblivious to his surroundings as he feasted on the nectar before him, Edward hadn't even noticed that they had company.

"Don't breathe, Jasper," a small, chime-like voice warned, just before Edward felt two huge, heavy boulders collide into his side, throwing him a good fifty feet from his meal.

Before he had time to right himself, Edward lost track of the scent from his meal. Glancing around nervously, he noticed she was gone. Stolen out from under him.

He shouldn't be too upset, as he hadn't wanted to murder a woman in the first place, but nonetheless, that had been the tastiest meal he had had in his entire life. And now it was gone.

Edward could only hear bits and pieces of thoughts coming from the two guys; they were too fast to fully decipher, and his mind was still a bit preoccupied. He would be able to distinguish one or two words every so often, but it didn't make much sense.

"What do we do with him? Should we take him with us?" a booming voice sounded from behind Edward.

Slowly and quietly, the other guy spoke. "Alice said she was il suo cantante. He cannot be near her until she has fully changed. We'll come back fer him in three days' time. For now, leave this pitiful jackass to his own devices."

The big guy chuckled heftily and they began to run toward the end of the alley.

Edward heard the words_ Jackass... Dude… Fun… Wrestle..._ He was fairly certain they were coming from the big guy's mind.

Running after them, he shouted over the rain and thunder, "Wait! Stop!"

In no time, he caught up with them. He tried to grab the smaller one by the arm, but he jerked away. Completely aggravated, Edward tackled him to the ground. The big guy grappled him from behind and jerked him off the other guy. "Dude, you need to calm down," Edward heard in his ear.

"I just want to talk," Edward said with a grunt.

The guy he had knocked to the ground stood up and looked him in the eye. "We can talk. You sure you ain't gonna try nuttin' knucklehead?"

_Can't trust… Rage… Down..._ came from the smaller guy.

Edward had a strange sense of calm come over him, and he relaxed significantly. "I promise, I just need answers," he begged.

The big guy let go of him, spun him around and shoved his hand in front of Edward for a handshake. "Name's Emmett. Nice to meet you, Edward."

_Brother… Hunting…_

Edward was not enjoying only getting bits and pieces of his thoughts.

Cautiously, Edward shook his hand and said, "How… how do you know my name?"

The smaller guy bumped shoulders with him and answered, "In due time, man, in due time." Then in a creepy, Poltergeist rendition, with a bit of a hillbilly undertone, he sang, "All will be revealed, all will be revealed."

Emmett chuckled. "Dude, don't scare the guy before he's even met the little freak."

The Creeper punched Emmett in the gut – to which Emmett oomph'ed – and said, "Don't be callin' mah li'l lady a freak. She won't take kindly to that, you big ole bear."

The big guy's thoughts completely took a perverted turn at the mention of the lady.

Edward just looked between the two of them, dumbfounded. "What… _are_ you guys? What… what am I?"

Emmett busted out laughing. He literally fell to the ground, rolling back and forth laughing. Edward had never seen a grown man act so… idiotic before. It was quite entertaining.

_Poor… Freak… Confused… Epic…_

The other guy looked down at Emmett and slowly shook his head. "Emmett only laughs at others' misfortunes because ninety percent of the time, we are the ones laughing at him. Anyway, ignore the buffoon, he's like a toddler; if he's not getting attention, he'll quit. So, anyway, I'm Jasper, that's Emmett, you're Edward. And we are all… vampires." He shrugged his shoulders as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

_Holy fucking shit…_ Edward thought as he slumped down to his knees.

**Thanks so much for reading! As usual, a teaser for a review, my lovelies!**

**Oh, and if you don't know about the scene in Bella's dream (minus the biting of course) then you better hop over and watch **_**The Phantom of the Opera**_**, right now! What are you waiting for? (If my 16 yr old son loves it, I'm sure you would, too!)**

***The actual scene might be located on my profile, lol***


	4. Death Becomes Her

Thanks as always, to my LC – Alitriona/Eila, Allysue08, Rags88, and WhatObsession17! I love you guys more than you will ever know! Thanks for being there for me through all of my ranting and "stupid questions" (some of them love my stupid questions… I think it makes them feel really smart! LOL!)

Still leasing

**Death Becomes Her**

"How much longer Alley Cat? I wanna take her out huntin'. Die, Sucker!" Emmett said, as he shot an opponent on _Left 4 Dead 2_.

"Emmett, I told you two minutes ago that it was only seventy-two minutes. Did you forget how to do math, Embear?" Alice giggled.

Rosalie huffed. "I still don't understand why you guys are so excited. I think this whole thing was effed up. You knew she was going to be bitten, Alice, and yet you only prevented her death, not the biting altogether. It makes no sense. She's going to hate you once she realizes you could have stopped the whole thing."

"Actually," Alice said smugly, "she's gonna hate Edward, not me. She's gonna love me." Alice dropped her smile for a more somber expression. "And I already told you, Rose, she had no one. She was going to live a miserable life for God knows how long, never finding her true love."

"Oh yeah," Rose said sarcastically, "because her 'true love'," she rolled her eyes as she air-quoted, "is the one who turned her into a monster. I think your crystal ball is broken. And didn't you just say she's going to hate Edward?"

"Well, yeah. That's sorta where my visions get blurry. If he doesn't make the choice to quit being a cocky asshole, he will lose his chance with his soul mate. So, I am here to guide them in the right direction." Alice jutted out her chin and crossed her arms over her chest defiantly.

"Well, I'm the one who has his work cut out for him." Jasper sighed. "I felt his emotions, and that boy is riddled with them. He resorts to anger first and foremost, so he's gonna be a handful. His thirst is strong, too. We are all gonna have to help him with that."

Emmett put down his controller, cracked his knuckles and grinned. "Oh, I'll enjoy helping kick his ass… er, I mean thirst." He laughed heartily.

Jasper shook his head. "It won't be as easy as you are expecting, Emmett. He's a newborn. He'll be stronger than us for a while. It will be a challenge."

Emmett chuckled. "Dude, he's not _that_ strong!"

"We caught him off guard," Jasper said. "If he was _really_ trying to fight back, he could easily take you out."

"No way in hell!" Emmett boomed.

Jasper rolled his eyes and prepared to respond, but Alice elbowed him and shook her head. He looked at her questioningly. She grinned and tapped her finger to her temple. Jasper smiled and nodded, knowing full well, that Alice had seen Emmett being put in his place in the future.

8o8o8o8o8o8

_Vampire?_ When Jasper had told Edward that he was a vampire, he hadn't been joking. He was being serious. Edward had seen it in his eyes, and he had heard it in his mind – well, sort of. But it didn't make sense. Vampires were a myth. They weren't real.

_Getting shot in the knee with a Magnum and pulling the bullet out isn't real, either,_ Edward thought.

Edward started thinking about all of the vampire lore he had heard over the years.

_**Vampires have fangs.**_

Nope, Edward didn't have fangs – but he _did_ have razor sharp teeth.

_**Vampires burn in the sunlight.**_

Again, nope. Edward rolled his eyes as he thought about how he sparkled in the sunlight. Freaking sparkled.

_That's some girly bullshit,_ he thought.

_**Vampires turn into bats.**_

Okay, now that didn't happen in _all_ vampire stories, so it was feasible that that was a false fact.

_**Vampires move at inhuman speed.**_

Well, that was true in Edward's case. He moved as fast as his thoughts.

_**Vampires drink blood.**_

Again, yes, Edward had an uncanny hunger… well, actually it would be more like _thirst_ for human blood.

_**Vampires were virtually indestructible.**_

Check.

Okay, so he was three against three in his quest for proving he wasn't a vampire. He needed a deciding factor. One that would tip the scales in one direction indefinitely.

_**Vampires were pale and had no heartbeat.**_

Yeah, that kinda set it in stone right there. There were not many explanations for the no heartbeat thing.

Edward couldn't figure out what they meant about coming back in three days. Were they going to kill him? Then again, how do you kill… a vampire?

_Garlic and holy water?_ Edward speculated.

Edward had been so distraught over the events that had happened. He had promised himself he would never harm a woman, and yet he hadn't thought twice about biting her.

But that taste…

His mouth watered, or – venomed? – when he thought about how she had tasted. She had been irresistible; he couldn't help it. There had been something different about her.

And her mind. He had heard nothing from her mind. Not even bits and pieces like from the two guys.

Edward started contemplating about the fact that the guys' minds were so hard to read. They 'spoke' fast in their mind. Maybe, just maybe, a _vampire's_ mind moves quickly, like their body movements. Maybe eventually he would be able to read their mind as easily as a human's. One could only hope.

After his encounter with the woman, Edward had suddenly become so nervous. He was so afraid he would come in contact with another woman who was as enticing as her, so whenever he saw or heard a female, he would stop breathing, petrified of a repeat performance.

It was so strange, though. He couldn't get her out of his head. It wasn't just her smell, but everything about her. She was an enigma. She was intoxicating.

She was a tiny little thing, and yet she had held up – and shot with perfection – a gun that would cause most men trouble. She had been persistent. When she had noticed that the pepper spray hadn't affected him, she threatened with the gun, and then proceeded to use said gun, and once she realized it hadn't worked either, she had decided to use martial arts on him and it had resulted in her shattering her elbow, which _then_ resulted in Edward not being able to resist the blood bursting from her veins.

Having perfect recall of every detail – something that apparently all vampires possessed – Edward was able to view the woman in her entirety, not having had the opportunity when in the midst of blood lust. As he looked at her through his mind's eye, he realized he found her to be ravishing. She had a heart-shaped face, long, beautiful auburn hair, and deep mocha colored eyes, which were astonishingly expressive. And her body – she had all the right curves in all the right places.

Edward could feel himself getting hard… well, hard_er_.

_What the hell do vampires do when they get horny?_ he wondered.

Victoria apparently had no qualms about being with a human, but was it even possible for a male vampire (Edward laughed as he thought of shortening that to mampire) to have sex with a human? Wouldn't a granite-like dick hurt a human woman?

This made him wonder if his dick (gulp) _sparkled_ like the rest of his skin seemed to.

_Talk about awkward sex…_ he grumbled internally.

He had so many questions and nowhere to find answers.

8o8o8o8o8o8

Muse's _Supermassive Black Hole_ was blaring from the speakers throughout the house and Alice was bouncing on the balls of her feet while excitedly saying, "It's time!"

"'Bout freaking time!" Emmett boomed as he jumped up from the couch and began running up the stairs behind Alice.

Carlisle and Esme had been waiting in his study on the second floor, so when they heard Alice say that it was time, they emerged and made their way to the top floor with her and Emmett to greet their new friend who was sure to have ample questions.

The four of them walked toward the room which held their guest, and Alice jumped in front of them. "We have to be slow. She's going to freak out. Emmett, you go straight for the windows, because that's how she will plan to escape. Jasper is going to do his best to control her emotions from the second floor. His scars are a bit intimidating for her to see first thing. Esme and I will walk to either side of her, and Carlisle will start explaining things. This will work if we do it this way."

Everyone knew to follow Alice's directions; no one bet against Alice.

Emmett turned the knob and bounded into the room, heading straight for the windows just as he was told. Alice and Esme quickly followed behind Emmett, and stood near where Bella lay on the giant feather bed in the center of the room. Carlisle leaned his back against the door, which had since been shut. Bella's heartbeat had reached an insane tempo, and it was nearing the end of its staccato.

"Get ready, forty-five seconds," Alice chimed.

Forty-five seconds later, on the dot, Bella's heart ceased beating and she gasped for air, albeit unnecessarily. Carlisle had given Bella anesthesia hoping it would ease the pain, but since she was fully transformed into a vampire, she was now completely consciousness and awareness of her surroundings.

In a split second, she stood on the bed in an aggressive crouch, growling at the four other vampires in the room with her. She blinked furiously and shook her head, most likely trying to learn to accept the change in sight she had now received. Her hands were making and releasing fists at her side and she was baring her teeth.

A tranquil ambience suddenly blanketed everyone in the room, and Bella reluctantly relaxed her stance.

"Who are you?" she asked, instantly clamping her hands over her mouth, with her eyes as wide as teacups.

_What is wrong with my voice?_ she thought.

Esme and Alice each put a hand on her shoulders and motioned for her to sit on the bed along with them.

Carlisle softly began speaking. "Hello, Bella. I'm Carlisle Cullen. The lady to your right is Esme, my wife, and the one to your left is Alice, who, in every sense of the word that matters, is my daughter, and the hulking man near the window is Emmett, who I also call my son. Downstairs, you will find my other son, Jasper, but we will save his meeting for a few more minutes." Carlisle smiled sincerely.

Bella looked at each person as he introduced them, each one smiling and nodding in return. She wasn't sure what was going on, or how to absorb all of this information, but the one thing she was in complete understanding of was that these four beings in front of her were stunning. Their skin was flawless, as if their faces had been sculpted from marble. Their hairstyles were immaculate – not a strand was out of place. The clothes they wore were pristine, not a solitary wrinkle, or asymmetrical cuff. They appeared as if they were clothing models in a high-end department store. They almost looked like they were gods or perhaps…

"Have I died? Am I in heaven?" she worriedly asked.

Alice chuckled. "I know these clothes appear to be heavenly, but you, however, are not in heaven."

"But about that 'died' question…" Emmett started, but Esme quickly cut him off with 'the look'. However, she was not quick enough.

"Wha –" Bella gasped.

Esme wrapped her arm around Bella's shoulders and began speaking comfortingly to her. "We have a lot to explain to you, and it's going to come as a bit of a shock, but it will be best for everyone in the… vicinity… if you try to calmly listen with an open mind. Carlisle is going to explain things, because he's… well, more _experienced_ in this situation, but Alice and I will be right here by your side. Everything will be okay," Esme reassured her.

Carlisle began carefully, "Bella, do you remember that night in the alley? The man you –"

"Oh my gosh! I shot a man! Is he… wait a minute. I remember him… Oh my GOD! He was still standing, and then I… and then he… and –" Bella reached up and grabbed her neck where Edward had bitten her three days before.

Carlisle nodded. "Yes, Bella, you were bitten. The man who bit you was a vampire."

Before Carlisle could continue Bella started laughing hysterically. "A vampire? Yeah, right! It's more likely that you guys are a bunch of angels and I'm outside the pearly gates awaiting my trial."

Esme squeezed Bella's shoulders and looked her in the eye as she said, "I'm afraid it's true, dear. Come, see for yourself."

Esme guided Bella to the vanity across the room. As soon as she appeared in the reflection, Bella gasped loudly as she cupped her cheeks with her hands. She roamed her fingers across every inch of her face in wonderment. Bella had never thought herself ugly, but she had always known she was rather plain. However, the face she saw reflecting in the mirror – it was not a plain face by anyone's standards. She looked astonishing, just like the others in the room with her.

"It's not possible. I mean… well, even though I look different… that doesn't mean I'm… there has to be another explanation." She exposed her teeth, turning her face from side to side. "See? No fangs. How do you explain that?"

Alice walked up beside Bella, wrapped an arm around her waist and asked, "Bella, how would you like to go downstairs and eat some spaghetti while we talk this through?"

At the mere mention of spaghetti, Bella made a face of repulsion. She couldn't understand why the thought of eating her favorite food suddenly was not the least bit pleasing.

Emmett laughed with gusto. "Which do you prefer, type A or type O?"

Alice slapped Emmett on the arm. "Do you always have to be so crass?"

Bella couldn't deny the fact that with the thought of blood, her mouth began to… well, not exactly water, but she felt a desire to drink the red fluid at that moment.

The four other vampires in the room noticed the change in her demeanor, and the one situated a floor below suddenly felt her strong desire to feed. He spoke softly, but everyone on the floor above him was able to hear him without a problem. "She needs to hunt."

Bella spun around looking for the voice she had just heard. Emmett started chuckling again. "Dude, you can't just speak and not come up and let her see you, you're gonna give her a heart atta – well, gonna scare her to dea – um, just get your ass up here!"

In the blink of an eye, a man stepped into the room and Bella jumped back in shock. He was astounding, much like the others, with every feature impeccable. However, with Bella's new microscopic vision, she could see scars across his jaw and down his neck. Upon further investigation, she saw more on his hands and arms.

An aura of calm enveloped her and Jasper began to speak. "Don't be startled, Bella mah dear. I'm not dangerous. Well, not dangerous to _you_ at least. Let's just say newborns can be vicious." He smiled politely.

"Newborns?" Bella asked.

"Yes, newborn vampires, like you. It's the same as with humans, but on a much more dangerous scale. When a person is first changed into a vampire, they are like a newborn baby. They are insanely thirsty, and they don't know any better but to drain the first human they come in contact with. However, vampires have one main rule they have to follow, and that's to remain inconspicuous. So, if a young vampire is not taught the ways to feed discreetly, they can cause the Volturi to come down and prosecute them." Jasper spoke in a way resembling Cliff's Notes or the abridged version of Vampire 101.

Alice placed her hand gently on Jasper's forearm and had a brief silent conversation with him. He nodded and stepped back closer to Carlisle.

"What he's trying to say, Bella, without confusing you any further," Alice said smiling, "is that vampires are quote-unquote 'born with an inane thirst for human blood.' Carlisle here, our _father_, if you will, has learned that we can live without being murderers. We don't have to be the monsters that society has deemed us to be. We can protect, care for, and even _love_ humans. This is what we hope to teach you, if you would be willing to give our way of life a chance." Alice's face broke out in a huge smile. "Of course, I already know you are going to, so we can head out for your first _vegetarian_ hunt if you'd like." She giggled at her nickname for their hunt.

Bella quirked an eyebrow at Alice. "How do you already know what I'm gonna say?"

Alice looped her arm through Bella's and said, "Come, let's hunt and I'll explain everything."

"Hey! I thought I was taking her on her first hunt!" Emmett shouted.

"I never said that, Emmett, you assumed. I've warned you about assuming." Alice giggled as she led Bella out onto the balcony. "Watch this, Bella." As graceful as a ballerina, Alice jumped off the third-floor balcony, landing on the tips of her feet. "Your turn. Don't be afraid, even if you _did fall_, which you won't, you wouldn't get hurt."

Alice spent the next thirty minutes teaching Bella the ways of the hunt. It was quite comical, especially when Bella didn't find the scent of the local elk appetizing. Alice helped her to accept her meal by telling her it was much better than the other option – the two-year-old little girl who was less than a mile away. Alice emphasized this with a very exuberant pout. Once her conscience realized this to be true, she grudgingly accepted the bland tasting animal.

Bella had covered herself in blood – something else Alice had foreseen, hence the reason she dressed her in 'play attire', which consisted of an Abercrombie hoodie, a pair of Escada button-flies, and Prada flats.

As they were running back toward the house, jumping creeks and large stumps, Alice suddenly halted her steps. "Emmett, you son of a bitch!" Alice said under her breath. She knew he could hear her, and that's what mattered.

Bella slowed and turned to look questioningly at Alice.

Alice took a deep breath and sighed, "Well, you were gonna have to do this eventually, I was just planning later, rather than sooner. Emmett had to go and change things unbeknownst to me… ironically."

Alice linked their arms again and began slowly walking toward the house. She whispered, "Jasper, do your thing… NOW!"

The house came into view and Bella could smell someone new inside. She wasn't nervous because in that short amount of time, she had grown to trust the small vampire beside her.

Alice opened the front door slowly. Bella smiled and looked inside.

"YOU MOTHER FUCKER!" she screamed as she launched herself into the foyer.

**Teaser for a review! Thanks so much for reading!**


	5. Death of an Angel

Merci beaucoup á mon LC – Alitriona/Eila, Allysue08, Rags88, and WhatObsession17! Je t'aime, je t'aime, je t'aime!

SM owns, I just put them in _VERY_ awkward situations ;)

**Death of an Angel**

"_YOU MOTHER FUCKER!" Bella screamed as she launched herself into the foyer_.

Bella didn't know much about what had happened to her and what she had become – even if the kind people she was becoming accustomed to had said she was a vampire, she still had her doubts. However, what she _did_ know was that the man in front of her was to blame, and she wanted revenge.

Edward had no idea how to respond to the tiny crazed lunatic charging toward him. She appeared deadly, and he was sure she could do damage to him, but she was _still_ a female, and even if he had lost control and attacked her before, he wasn't going to do so while in his right mind.

She barreled toward him and he tried to side-step her, but she was lithe on her feet, so she was able to tackle him to the ground with minimal effort.

The two of them battled against one another on the floor, twisting and squirming, with growling and gnashing teeth and clawing fingers.

Emmett started to move forward to break them apart, but Alice held up her hand. "It has to happen this way, Emmett. I knew they would fight when they first met – although you changed the schedule by sneaking off to go get him – but they need this fight for dominance. Just wait, trust me."

Edward had intended to simply defend himself and not fight back, but it was no-holds-barred with this woman. She was out for blood… er venom?... and she wasn't gonna stop until she achieved it.

One simple mistake and Edward was lying on his stomach with Bella perched on his back, holding one of his arms behind his back, bent in a chicken wing maneuver, as she grabbed him by the hair of the head and began slamming his face into the wooden floor beneath him.

"Fuck!" _bang_ "please" _bang_ "uncle!" _bang_ "uncle!" _bang_ "TRUCE!"

In that moment, Bella realized it was futile for her to pursue physical revenge on the immortal in front of her. She would simply have to resort to much more effective means. Namely, mentally and emotionally. Kick him where it hurt so to speak.

Smiling sweetly, Bella released Edward and stood to her feet, smoothing out her blood-stained, over-priced clothes. She cleared her throat and spoke softly. "Forgive me. I don't know what came over me just now."

Emmett's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. He looked over to Alice, who was smiling knowingly. She glanced over at Emmett and childishly stuck out her tongue.

Emmett slapped Bella on the back and hooted, "Dude that was ho-ot!" He looked down at Edward, who was still lying dumbfoundedly on the ground, and in a perfect rendition of Smokey from 'Friday', he said, "You got knocked the fuck out, man! Gimme my goddamn money!"

The room erupted with laughter. Leave it to Emmett to break the tension.

Edward still didn't know what to think about the people he was surrounded by, especially the brown-haired spitfire that had just…

_Emmett was right… that was fucking hot, _Edward thought. All of a sudden, he could feel his jeans getting tight from thinking about her straddling him with her breasts pressed against his…

Jasper's head shot up instantly. He looked at Edward with his eyes bugging out. Edward couldn't quite make out what he was thinking, but a few words filtered through.

_Horny… hard… ignore… trouble…_

Everyone in the room – with the exception of Bella – jerked their heads toward Jasper. Jasper started shaking his head. "I can't… it's too strong… I'm sorry… It's him!" He pointed toward Edward.

Edward looked from person to person in front of him. He couldn't figure out what he had done and why Jasper was pointing at _him._

Six pairs of eyes looked straight at his crotch.

_What the fuck?_ Edward wondered as he automatically cupped his hands protectively in front of the family jewels.

Hearing Emmett's thoughts loud and clear, Edward couldn't figure out why they weren't coming sporadically or in spurts, like they had all the times before.

_Pussy, pussy, pussy, pussy, pussy, tits, tits, pussy, pussy_

Edward barely blinked his eyes and the three couples in the room all started running in opposite directions into the woods.

He stood there, flabbergasted, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to avoid looking at Bella who was standing across the room from him. He was trying to think of things to will away the erection, which was still pretty prominent in his pants. He thought of dead puppies, but that wasn't repulsive to him, for some strange reason. He then thought of his dead Grandma, but oddly enough, he just felt blissful for her, seeing that she was _dead_ and not _undead_ like him.

_I got it!_ he mentally screamed to himself.

He pictured big, beefed-up Emmett and his sweaty ball sack slapping against Jasper's ass.

_Yep, that did it._

Bella couldn't comprehend what had just transpired. It happened so quickly that even her vampire mind had a hard time absorbing it all. At the very same moment she had felt this incredible… _sexual_ urge like she had never felt before, all eyes had turned toward Jasper and he had begun defending himself and blaming the bastard who was still standing in front of her. Then, suddenly, everyone had disappeared and she was left staring at the asshole responsible for her current condition.

Edward was still sheepishly looking at the floor, wondering how to get himself out of this extremely awkward situation with this woman. He was also half afraid that if he rose his head even the slightest bit, he would once again get mental images of her in very risqué positions and activities.

_Sweaty ball sack, sweaty ball sack, sweaty ball sack, _Edward chanted to himself.

Without another thought, Bella made her way upstairs to the room she had emerged from earlier in the day. She was hoping to find a change of clothes and to take a quick shower. As she stepped into the room, she glanced at the bed and cringed. The seventy-two hours of transformation all came back to her in abrupt reminiscence. She had been coherent for the entire traumatizing event, but she had been unable to move or speak or, heaven forbid, cry out in pain. She had had to lie there, completely immobile, but completely lucid. It was the worst kind of torture. She didn't want to be in that room any longer than absolutely necessary. She was going to relocate to another room as soon as she had removed the traces of her dinner from her body.

Not sure of where her new friends had gone off to, or when they would be back, she was trying to think of ways to avoid confrontation with the furiously good-looking man downstairs.

_Why does that arrogant son of a bitch have to be so handsome?_ She growled as she rooted through the dresser for something to wear. _And why are there only ostentatious clothes in these drawers?_

Settling on a very bright, very pink Hollister sweatshirt with matching pants, Bella headed to the shower. She decided she'd have to go commando, since she wasn't about to wear undergarments belonging to someone else. As she stepped into the bathroom down the hall, she found a pink card propped up with the words, 'READ ME' on the front. She opened it and began to read.

_Bella, _

_I see that you chose the carnation sweats, good choice; it looks great with your hair and skin tone. I know you are worried about undergarments, but you need not worry. Everything in this room was recently bought just for you, so they are not used, I promise you this. I also have stocked the bathroom with strawberry shampoo and conditioner along with lavender body wash (trust me, you love it), and all of the other toiletries you will require. I'll see you when you get out!_

_Love,_

_Alice_

_p.s. the carnation boy short set that matches the sweats perfectly are in the back of the top left drawer._

Bella felt as if she had entered the Twilight Zone. How had Alice known what she would pick and that she would like the beauty products she had bought for her? She spoke as if she was standing right there with her and watching her every move. She even said 'you love it' in present tense, not future as if she hoped she would love it. Bella didn't know what to make of that tiny woman, but she really enjoyed her company, so for the time being, she was going to just chalk one up to the craziness she had now found herself smack dab in the middle of.

After her shower, Bella started back toward the room she was planning to relocate from. She had noticed another door across the hall, and thought that would be her first prospect. Only a tad worried that the room belonged to someone else – because she was fairly certain she couldn't smell the scent of another vampire on the items in that room – she cautiously turned the knob and stepped in.

The room was gorgeous. The entire east wall was floor to ceiling windows, overlooking a magnificent lake. The dresser, bookcase, and matching vanity had a beautiful cherry finish, which accentuated the mauve-colored theme of the room. The walls were bare, save the small border that served as a demarcation between the upper, lighter color and the lower, darker color. Bella could already see herself decorating and making the room her own. There was also an adjoining en suite bathroom with which she immediately fell in love.

Anxious to begin filling her drawers and new walk-in closet, she darted across the hall and began gathering her items. She stepped back into her new room and there stood the infuriatingly handsome man she had been trying to avoid.

"What are you doing in my room?" she snarled.

His eyes bulged. "Your room? I don't see anything in here belonging to you? I was told to 'make myself at home' and that's what I intend to do. This room happens to be vacant, and I think I rather like it."

"It is most certainly _not_ vacant! This is my room! You can find somewhere else to live out your sorry existence."

"The way I see it, this room is up for grabs and doesn't belong to anyone. Tell me why I should give it to _you?_" he said condescendingly.

"Maybe because _you_ attacked _me_ in an alley!" Bella said contemptuously, poking her finger into his chest.

"Well, you shot me!" he growled back.

"Well, you made me one of the undead!" Bella shrilled as she stepped closer. Close enough that she caught a whiff of his scent and realized he smelled just as delicious as he looked.

Edward was enraged by this tiny, beautiful, magnificent-smelling woman who was staring him down after just having yelled at him and accusing him of his most dreadful sin. But she was right. He had not only taken her life from her, he had inadvertently turned her into a monster. He was the lowest form of evil. He hung his head and made to vacate the premises.

However, as he descended the stairs, a pair of vampires returning from their little rendezvous halted his intentions.

"You don't have to leave, Edward. Bella just needed to let off some steam. You can take the room across from her once she has moved her belongings," Alice said sweetly.

Jasper smirked and added, "Just do as Il Duce says; trust me."

Alice harrumphed, and put her hands on her waist. "I am not a dictator, I am not fascist, and I'm pretty sure I'm not Italian." Looking back at Edward, Alice grinned wickedly. "But he's right. You should totally do what I say because I always know what's best."

Bella had been listening to the conversation from the area where she had been transporting her belongings. She decided once and for all, she needed to find out how Alice was able to know so much.

She swiftly made her way down the stairs to the den, where the others had relocated.

"Bella! You look stunning! I told you that looks beautiful on you! I trust you like your new room?" she asked, grinning.

"About that… Alice, how do you know so much? How did you know what outfit I would pick out and what toiletries I would like? You're like a gypsy or something. It's kinda freaking me out here." Bella then mumbled, "Right along with everything else crazy going on around here."

Jasper spoke up. "You know, yer kinda right. Mah li'l Alice is a bit of a gypsy." Alice snorted haughtily, to which Jasper replied with a grin, "She's eccentric an' she is a fortune-teller."

"Jasper!" Alice squealed. Looking back toward Bella, Alice clarified, "I am _not_ a fortune-teller. I can often see the future. My visions are subjective, though, so if someone changes their mind on a course of action, the vision will not come to fruition, or at least it will alter relatively."

"So, that's how you knew to be in that alley to stop that moron from killing me?" Bella said as she pointed angrily.

"Yes, Bella. I had seen a vision of us saving you from Edward and bringing you back to live with us and you becoming a part of our family." Alice smiled.

Although he wasn't in the house yet, Emmett was within vampire hearing distance, so he spoke up next. "That was the most action we had seen in months! Thank you, Edward." Emmett whistled and laughed.

"Wait, so… if you knew to keep me from killing her, why couldn't you have stopped me from biting her, period? Why didn't you use your creepy telekinesis to keep me from turning her into a monster and ruining her life?" Edward said angrily.

Alice rolled her eyes. "First off, telekinesis is the ability to move objects with the mind; I have precognition. And second of all, every other way I tried to see it played out, Bella ended up dead. You weren't the only vampire on her trail that night. It was either her become one of us, or to end up pushing up daisies. I prefer the former, thank you very much."

"So what else do you know, then?" Edward asked sarcastically.

_Love… soul-mate… forever… _

Edward's mouth dropped open. "What about a soul-mate?"

Jasper, Alice, and Bella, all three jerked their heads toward Edward in disbelief.

Alice stuttered for the first time since becoming immortal. "Y-you h-heard me?"

Edward looked oddly at her, having thought this was something apparently all vampires could do. "Just bits and pieces, not like with humans. You think too fast. You mean… you guys can't hear people's thoughts?"

Also for the first time since… well, actually for the first time _ever_, Alice was stunned speechless. She simply shook her head.

If vampires could blush, Bella was sure she would have been crimson right then and there. Edward knew her thoughts. That meant he knew she thought he was extremely handsome. But that also meant he knew she thought he was a prick!

_How does it feel knowing I think you are a prick, huh?_ Bella thought nastily.

But Edward didn't even acknowledge she had said anything. Well, she hadn't actually _said_ anything, but why didn't he respond to her ill-tempered thoughts?

"So, you have telepathy? You can read everybody's mind?" Jasper asked grinning.

"Fuck! That means that he… dude… don't tell me you were reading our minds a while ago when we… oh shit," Emmett groaned.

Edward shook his head. "Well, first of all, I told you, you guys think too quickly, I only get words here and there from you. Except _her_," he snarled as he pointed toward Bella. Her eyes widened. "I can't hear anything coming from her. Not even when she was human."

Bella relaxed minutely, realizing her secret was still safe.

"But, even if you hear words here and there, then you… well… earlier…" Rosalie stammered.

"No, you guys evidently went far enough out of my radar or whatever. I didn't hear anything more from you after you bolted from the house," Edward explained.

Six people breathed an unnecessary sigh of relief – Carlisle and Esme having since joined the household.

"So, does… do _all_ vampires have some sort of mind magic then?" Bella asked.

"Nah. Alleycat and Jazz are the only two mental oddballs 'round here." Emmett shrugged.

Bella and Edward both looked at Jasper expectantly. Jasper grinned and decided to toy with them a bit. First he made everyone feel euphoric and giddy; the entire room erupted with laughter. Then for the slightest moment – making sure not to let it get out of hand – he let the whole room feel a sliver of anger. Then, just for the ultimate fun, he released a deep feeling of sadness, causing everyone to sob. Without tears, of course.

Emmett punched him in the shoulder, hard enough to send him ten feet in the opposite direction. "That's enough of that, you emo-freak."

Jasper chuckled. "That's me. I can manipulate emotions or feelin's. It helps to relieve tension in an atmosphere, or to cheer people up when they are really feelin' blue. It's quite handy, actually."

"Well, I'd like you to leave my emotions alone, if you don't mind. I don't want your freaky shit all up in my brain, altering how I feel about particular things," Edward chided. He was already having such mixed emotions about Bella, he didn't need anymore messing with his head.

"Well, the minute you turn off your mind reading thingy I bet he'll turn off his emo-changing thingy," Bella snapped. And then, just for the hell of it, she added the thought, _Asshole, cocksucking motherfucker…_ She looked at him to make sure he really didn't hear her and smiled when she was sure he hadn't. _Take that, dickhead!_ she added.

"This is none of your business. This is between me and emo-boy over here, butt out," Edward snapped back.

Suddenly, a blanket of calm encompassed the room. Everyone looked accusingly at Jasper. He shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes.

"And quit callin' me emo-boy. It makes me sound like those wannabe freaks that go 'round seekin' attention."

Jasper turned toward the television and set up the game for a little L4D2 one-on-one competition. He motioned for Edward and Emmett to join him on the couch before he sat down, propping his feet on the table in front of him.

"An' that, mah friends, is how Emo-boy handles a situation." Emmett snorted and hopped over the back of the couch, landing perfectly in his spot beside Jasper.

**Ah, Jasper. I have a soft spot fer ya mah boy! I'd like to have an emo-freak 'round here *grin***

**As always, I like to tease, so review please! :)**


	6. Something Wicked This Way Comes

Can I first say how terribly sorry I am for not giving everyone a teaser last week? I am so so so sorry! I had a very rough week. I am so sorry! I will make it up with a double teaser this week, I promise! Please forgive me!

Thank you a thousand times to my LC – Alitriona/Eila, Allysue08, Rags88, and WhatObsession17! Luv you guys tremendously!

Still leasing, of course

**Something Wicked This Way Comes**

Edward was having a very difficult time conforming to the ways of his new friends. At first it was fine. As he noticed previously, when he was in solitude he rarely thirsted. But before the time came for him to actually _be_ thirsty, the Cullens wanted to 'teach' him how to hunt.

It was disgusting. He had once heard the phrase 'ghetto steak' when someone referred to bologna, and he couldn't help but think that that was how animal blood compared to human blood. It wasn't the succulent steak he was used to, it was ghetto steak.

However, the one thing he honestly _did_ enjoy was the hunt. It was so much more challenging with animals. No animal could outrun him, but they somehow had a sixth sense for danger, and if you didn't literally stalk them, they would bolt, causing an actual chase. This was way more enticing than happening upon an unsuspecting victim and draining them. Not to mention, he didn't have to deal with the thoughts of the animals like he did the humans.

There was also the competition. Oh how Edward loved competition. When he had been in college – though his memory of it had faded – he had often stolen a girl from a classmate just to prove he could do it. So once he realized Emmett was competitive, the game was on.

Emmett was more experienced, but Edward was faster. Much faster. It was a pretty even match between the two of them.

Then there was Bella. The irritating, pesky, infuriating, nettlesome, resplendent, ravishing, exquisite fuck-hot female who made his life a living hell. Yes, she was annoying, and he wanted nothing more than to get far, far away from her, but unfortunately his mind – and more importantly, his dick – wouldn't let him be away from her for very long. It was maddening. Especially since she couldn't be around him for more than five minutes without degrading him in some way.

You'd think that would make it easier for him to stay away from her. It didn't. In fact, it made him drawn to her that much more. It seemed the snarkier she was, the more he yearned for her. When she would tell him to fuck off, he would imagine bending her over and hearing her say that, only just replace 'off' with 'me'. Yeah, it was disturbing and disgusting that everything she did or said sent his mind straight to the gutter, but he couldn't help it. Try as he might, he could _not_ quit thinking about Bella in perverted ways.

And it was only Bella. Rosalie was gorgeous – the sexiest thing he had ever seen – but she did absolutely nothing for him. He couldn't even whack off to thoughts of her. And yes, he did eventually find that vampires could choke the chicken. He just made sure he was miles away from the supersonic hearing of his housemates. And no, he did _not_ pull out his dick in the sun to see if it sparkled. He was fairly certain he would no longer be secure in his manhood if he saw a cock of diamonds.

Mind reading had become both less complicated and more problematic. It didn't take him long to be able distinguish the thoughts of the other vampires in the house. Occasionally, they would think even faster than normal and he still wasn't able to decipher those sentences. The problem with reading the minds of the vampires in the house was the _content_ of their thoughts.

Emmett had a three-track mind. It was darn near one-track – sex, of course – but Emmett also loved to play video games and… _EATING_. Of course everyone else called it drinking, but not Emmett. He missed his days as a body builder and his excessive caloric consumption. Serious as a heart attack he would say, "I need to eat frequently to avoid losing muscle mass." His thoughts would always momentarily turn to his days lifting weights, back when it was actually an accomplishment to lift four hundred pounds. Then, in ten seconds flat, his thoughts would shift to some of his many sexual encounters of the day, and within two minutes, he had Rosalie draped over his shoulder, running off through the woods.

Carlisle was an interesting specimen for the mind reading endeavor. He had centuries of memories he would often revert back to. Carlisle was a kind and thoughtful man, truly wanting to make a difference in the world. He wanted to cure diseases, invent vaccinations, or once in a while he would contemplate the possibility of curing vampirism. _That_ was his heart's desire.

He was also an affectionate man. Of course he loved Esme, but no one knew how deep his love went for his 'children'. He honestly thought of everyone else in the house as his child, and he would go to the ends of the Earth for them.

Esme wasn't unlike Carlisle when it came to loving their 'children'. She was incredibly mother-henish; always concerned with the feelings of her children, she would often sit with them individually and ask how they were doing. And she paid attention one hundred percent of the time, never commenting until at the appropriate time, so as to not interrupt and seem impatient. Edward had never met someone as self-sacrificing and considerate as Esme.

Edward tried to stay away from Rosalie's thoughts. Rosalie wasn't a bitch per se, but she craved attention and when she wasn't given proper attention, she considered it a lack of respect. Her thoughts would then turn vile and despicable. But she would never act on her thoughts. She would only briefly allow herself to have those sordid thoughts, and then convince herself that she didn't want to be one of those people who were beautiful on the outside and hideous on the inside.

Like Emmett, Rosalie would often think back in sorrow of her life as a supermodel. She had loved being a model – hence the reason she was used to being the center of attention – but she also hated the model industry. It had been the modeling career that caused Rosalie's transformation. Her agent, Royce King, had decided he wanted her as his trophy wife. Being that he was a vampire, to accomplish this, he had to transform her, which he did. However, he had no idea that she would be so vengeful that she would end up being his demise.

Jasper and Alice were two of the most interesting and yet vexing brains to pick. Alice was near constantly having visions. No one knew because she kept the inconsequential visions to herself, but she was bombarded with them on a daily basis. Sometimes they were the most mundane details, like perhaps what Esme was going to wear for the day or how many kills Emmett would get on one of his games on the Xbox. Edward would catch himself chuckling at the peculiar visions she would experience. She would always respond with, "It's so nice to finally share this nonsense with someone else. Welcome to my world, dear Edward."

Sometimes, however, Alice would think the absolute _strangest_ things! Edward had taken Latin and German in college, so when he would catch Alice singing America's national anthem in Latin, or something equally odd, he began wondering if she was purposely directing her thoughts in his presence, trying to cover what she was actually thinking.

Jasper, on the other hand, had to work extremely hard to direct his thoughts due to the fact that everyone's emotions would often dominate him. If an emotion was exceptionally strong, he couldn't control it; it would, in turn, control him. Due to this fact, he would often leave the vicinity to regain his own emotional control. Edward could never begrudge him this even though Jasper would control the emotions of others if he deemed it necessary, because the problem with Jasper becoming overwhelmed by others' emotions was the fact that it would often be spread from him throughout the rest of the household. Edward had found out that that was what had happened the day of their first meeting. He had gotten so horny thinking about Bella that it was too strong for Jasper to resist and he basically radiated horniness onto the others in the house. Finding out that piece of information was mortifying for Edward.

Bella's mind was still an enigma for Edward. He was partly thankful he couldn't read her mind because he knew it had to be filled with vitriol toward Edward. But at the same time, Edward's sadistic mind couldn't help but think of how incredibly sexy it was to hear her speak vulgarly to him, even if it was calling him a cocksucking motherfucker, because hearing her luscious lips utter the words 'cock' and 'fuck' was immensely arousing – he didn't get to hear it often enough. He would even catch himself provoking her to get her to say obscene things to him. Of course this would only lead to running off into the wild blue yonder only to beat his meat even more frequently.

8o8o8o8o8o8

"Bella, you are the only vampire in the history of vampires to pace. You need a chill pill. Do you want me to call Jazzman?" Emmett snickered.

"ARGH! He infuriates me, Emmett! Why is he such an asshole? I mean… what the fuck does he think? We can be _friends_ now? HE FUCKING KILLED ME! I mean… basically. He's always hanging around me. I tell him to fuck off and he just grins from ear to ear. He tries to do nice things for me. I just want him to leave me the hell alone. And the goading. What the hell? It's like he _likes _to get me all riled up or something." Bella was indeed pacing. And it wasn't nice, casual pacing… not even for a vampire. Put it this way; if they were in the house – be it on carpet or hardwood – the floor underneath them would have caught fire from the amount of friction her feet were creating.

"I don't remember a whole lot about my childhood, but I have heard it mentioned to other children in my life time: _When a dude is mean to you, it means he has a crush on you. _ So, I think our good ole Eddy_boy_ wants to be edible to you," Emmett said, nodding as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Emmett… does _everything_ revert to sex with you? And that was the strangest analogy I have ever heard…"

Emmett shrugged, squeezed his fist – turning the rock in his hand to dust – and jumped over the creek they had been standing in front of. "Come on Belloona. Let's eat!"

His unconventional, crude behavior made "Brother Bear" Emmett one of Bella's favorite people to hang out with. He always made her laugh – something she needed to do more often now that she was forced to face The Asshole – otherwise known as Edward – on a daily basis. Hunting with Emmett was a breath of fresh – albeit perverted – air.

Being in the company of Alice was another story. Alice's future-seeing abilities often made it difficult to have conversations with her. Oh, she _tried_ to pretend she didn't already know what Bella was going to say, but she wasn't as great of an actor as she thought, and Bella knew when a conversation had been foreseen. But Bella still gave Alice an A for effort.

It was also evident that Alice had something up her sleeve, though Bella couldn't quite figure out what. She would frequently have a conspiratorial look on her face, especially when Bella was irate. And then there were the times when Alice and Bella would be right in the middle of a conversation and Alice would abruptly end it and leave. And it never failed that Edward took that exact moment to come in and pester her. She wished Alice would 'foresee' those instances and stick around to help interfere with the confrontational situations, but she never did.

Though Jasper was a very nice guy and would never behave rudely, he didn't interact much with Bella unless it was in correlation to her and Alice spending time together. However, with his quirky emotional radar detector, he could tell when she was missing Charlie, and he would do something silly like slide into the room in Ray Bans, a white button-down shirt, no pants, and tube socks, Tom Cruise style, causing her to laugh every time.

Rosalie was neither here nor there with her attitude toward Bella. She was always civil and respectful, but at the same time, she was never overly friendly or joyful. Bella felt as if she was better off to let Rosalie come to her than to try to pursue a friendship with her.

Esme, however, was entirely different. It was as if she were the reincarnation of Bella's mother. So many things she would talk about were things Bella could remember her mom doing, even though the memories were quickly fading. Bella enjoyed spending time with Esme; it was peaceful. As if time stood still, which in essence, it sort of did for those who resided in that house. Esme seemed to enjoy being with Bella just as much. She was never one to force herself upon anyone, but it was evident that she wanted to spend more time with Bella, so Bella complied. Their favorite hobby was scrapbooking. Of course, they didn't scrapbook pictures of the family or anything like that. They would scrapbook pictures of nature, animals (that ironically they would probably end up draining later), and architecture. Hours would be lost in scrapbooking. And this was a very good thing for someone who lived forever.

Afraid Carlisle would end up being like her dad, since Esme was like her mom, Bella was cautious about being around him for long periods of time. That was until he pulled out his sterling silver Napoleonic War chess set. He had suggested a game and Bella responded with, "I thought you'd never ask!" Bella used to play chess with her grandfather before he died, and the best part of playing was that he had never let her win. If she didn't win fair and square, she didn't win. She had admired him for that.

So Bella and Carlisle would play for hours on end. At one point Carlisle said, "It's refreshing to play with you Bella. Alice never plays because she always knows ahead of time who wins and it bores her. Esme only plays for my benefit, and I feel guilty having her play something she doesn't enjoy. Emmett can never get around the idea that the board is the same as a checkerboard, so he can't grasp the concept of chess. Jasper takes the 'war' idea a bit too seriously, and Rosalie laughed when I asked her to play. With the addition of you and Edward in the house, I was excited to have two more prospects. However, Edward cheats, so he's no fun."

At that moment, from his room on the third floor, Edward sighed and said, "I do not cheat. It's not my fault you _think_ about your moves." Carlisle looked at Bella and mouthed, "He cheats." But before Bella could even snicker at the notion, Edward grumbled, "I do not, you old fart. If Alice can close off her thoughts, you can too. Don't blame this on me."

Bella spent ninety percent of her time thinking about that exasperating ass who took up residence across the hall from her.. He was frustrating as hell. He would instigate arguments with her and she couldn't figure out why she actually _enjoyed_ their banter. She couldn't help thinking how sexy it was when he would provoke her. She would try to walk away, but never accomplish it. The entire time they were bickering, she would imagine threading her fingers in his hair, or licking his Adam's apple, or clawing his back in ecstasy. Then she would get so pissed off at him for making her think those thoughts that she would imagine gracing him with a junk punch.

During one of their habitual squabbles, Edward was pointing his finger at Bella and she was backing away from him. She wasn't even sure how the argument had started, but that didn't matter once it made it to this point, because she was at the imagination stage of the quarrel and Edward was getting progressively closer to her. She felt her back come in contact with the wall and she knew she was in trouble. At that moment, she could see Edward's eyes change. He didn't look angry anymore. No, he looked… _hungry._

She couldn't move a muscle. Knowing the trouble she was in, she wanted to run, to duck under his arms, which had lifted and almost had her caged against the wall. But she couldn't. She was completely frozen. Edward's movements didn't stop until he was pressing her against the wall with his own body, hands on the wall beside her head, his face hovering over hers. She could feel his breath on her face and his hardened cock against her stomach. They both just stood there, staring, breathing desperately.

Edward shifted so that his leg was between hers, his thigh coming in contact with the heat between her legs. Bella whimpered, causing Edward to growl. His face started to lower, ever so slowly, and when his lips were within hair's breadth of hers, she came to her senses. He was about to fucking kiss her. The asshole she wanted to push off a cliff.

Shoving him back, Bella shouted, "Get the fuck away from me, you prick! What the hell are you thinking?" She then stormed off to her bedroom, frustrated yet again.

That night, Bella did something she had never done before. Not as a human, and sure as hell not as a vampire. She participated in some self love. She thought she was being stealthy by being in the bathtub, with the jets on, submerged totally in water, and not allowing even the tiniest pleasurable sound come from her lips. However, when she came downstairs and saw Jasper, he immediately averted his eyes and bit his lips to hold back a smirk.

_Fuck, totally forgot about EmoDoppler…_ she thought menacingly.

Right then and there, Bella decided Edward needed a little punishment of his own, and she could use some vengeance as well. She formulated a plan and put it into action later that evening. Every night, around three A.M., Edward would brood in his room, reading, writing, whatever the fuck his demented mind felt like doing, so Bella decided to pull what she like to refer to as the 'Vegas Punch' because it came from the movie _What Happens in Vegas._

She stood outside his door – of course he could hear her there – dropped to her knees and knocked. Knowing he was too prideful to simply call out, "Come in," she waited. He opened the door, and with her own vampire speed, she punched him right in the crotch. As if he had been given the lines and fully practiced them, he reenacted the scene almost impeccably. He fell to his knees, cupping his balls and whined, "Why in the hell?"

A Cheshire cat smile spread across her face as she completed the scene by standing to her feet, pointing at him with both hands and saying, "You know why! You know why!"

The entire house erupted with laugher. Even sweet, motherly Esme was chortling quietly.

8o8o8o8o8o8

The house was in an uproar. Tanya, Carlisle's cousin – well, that's what they referred to her as – was coming for a visit. Edward could see her through everyone's memories, and even though he would admit she was a knockout, she didn't hold a candle to the seductress who invaded his every thought. The very same seductress who, only hours after he almost had her sexy lips between his, nut punched him. And holy shit if that wasn't fucking hot as hell, even though, yes, it also fucking hurt like hell.

Thanks to Nostradamus, everyone knew Tanya was seven minutes from the Cullen house, which meant in four minutes she would be within hearing distance – or better yet; thinking distance. Edward wanted to get a read on her before she introduced herself. He had come to learn that the inner workings of the mind are a much better first impression than the phony one people often presented.

Out of the corner of his eye, Edward noticed Alice looking suspiciously at him. She was hiding her thoughts again, citing the U.S. Constitution… in Portuguese. At least, he was almost certain he recognized a few Portuguese phrases.

Suddenly, Alice's foreign rendition of the Bill of Rights was interrupted by words a thousand times more perverse than even Emmett had ever uttered. And that was saying something.

It seemed Tanya was an immortal whore. Oddly enough, not one Cullen had ever given any indication that Tanya was even remotely promiscuous. However, the thoughts going through her mind were so far from pure that the mere mention of some of these things caused Edward's mind to wander into dangerous territory. Especially in a house with a sexual satellite receiver who knew every time Edward got horny.

_Carlisle is so sexy, but he can't take his eyes off Esme. Maybe Esme would be interested in swinging. I bet that big beefy, sex god, Emmett could convince his highfalutin wife to a threesome. No sense in even trying for Jasper and Alice, between the two of them, they would just prevent anything from progressing. _

Along with these literal sentences, Tanya pictured images. Very, _very_ graphic images. Penthouse was a Disney movie in comparison to her pictures. A few of them even made Edward cringe in disgust.

Pulling into the driveway, Tanya's thoughts changed course.

_Mmm, someone's excited. Maybe I can offer to clean him up later._

Some of Tanya's images had incited thoughts of Bella again, and Edward realized the evidence of how much he enjoyed those thoughts was now leaking and gathering on the front of his boxers. _Fucking son of a bitch, _he thought.

He was positive Jasper had noticed, but he had only been paying attention to the thoughts coming from the strawberry blonde walking up the driveway, so he missed Jasper's ribbing, for which he was thankful.

The minute she laid eyes on Edward, Tanya's thoughts went a mile a minute with the things she wanted to do to him. Edward's eyes bulged when he saw her picturing his cock in every orifice she possessed. Without the slightest portrayal of her internal thoughts, she began greeting everyone around her, finishing with Edward.

With her next thoughts, he expected Jasper to react, so when he didn't, Edward was extremely confused.

_I'm gonna fuck this guy's brains out tonight. He is obviously sexually frustrated right now. That's okay, baby, once your cock is in my mouth and hitting the back of my throat, you'll forget your own name. Then when I ride your ass like a mechanical bull, you'll see stars. And then when –_

Edward had to shut her out then. He couldn't understand how Jasper wasn't feeling her horniness, because he always felt Edward's within half a second. Not once did Jasper even acknowledge anything from her. It was so peculiar.

Once all introductions, catching up, and small talk had been made, hours had gone by. Edward had stayed out of Tanya's mind for the remainder of the evening, but he would still catch himself ruminating the possibility of a quick 'roll in the hay' with her. He admitted to himself that she was drop dead gorgeous, built like a brick shithouse, and it was obvious she knew how the hell to handle herself in the sack.

And it's not like he wasn't accustomed to this behavior anyway.

_Besides, maybe this will clear my fucking mind of beautiful bodacious Bella the bitch._ Edward snorted at his accidental alliteration.

So, when everyone was off doing their own thing and Tanya found Edward in the library later that night, he didn't think twice about denying her when she asked for them to go for a walk. He tried not to read her mind, but it came out loud and clear when she thought simultaneously, "Would you like to go for a fuck."

As they made their way to the front door, Edward caught sight of Bella glaring daggers at them and for some reason, Edward felt immensely guilty as they walked off into the night.

**Again, plz forgive my lack of response last week! I promise to make it up with a double teaser! Thanks for reading bbs!**

**Oh, and I have a gif of the scene that Bella re-enacted with Edward *grin* You can find it on my profile ;)**


	7. Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned

Thank you so much to my LC – Alitriona/Eila, Allysue08, Rags88, and WhatObsession17, I love you guys so much!

SM owns

**Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned**

_That slut walked right in and swept him off of his feet, _Bella thought as she was once again pacing.

She didn't know why she was pacing. Honestly, if Edward had his sights on Big Tits Tanya he would leave Bella alone, right? And that's what she wanted, right? Well, at least it _sounded_ good.

Bella could hear Alice coming toward her room, so she quickly sat on her couch, trying not to look anxious. "Come in, Alice," she said dryly.

"Bella, have you still not learned that you can't hide things from us? You can quit pretending that you aren't having the vampire equivalent of an anxiety attack." Alice smiled sarcastically.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Alice. Why the hell would I be having an anxiety attack? I'm just going stir crazy. I need something to do. I'm sick of sitting around here with nothing to do! You guys all have jobs or college to take up some of your days. I am stuck here twenty-four, seven." Bella was nearly screaming by the end of her rant.

Completely unaffected by Bella's outburst, Alice calmly said, "Yes, you know what I'm talking about, and you also know why you are having an anxiety attack, but as for stir crazy, you know there's nothing we can do about that, Bella. Trust me, I would love to get you a nice job or something, but you can't be around humans yet. You know this."

"But have you even _tried_ to use your psychokinetic powers to see what would happen if we went out in public? _That's_ why I'm having a quote-unquote anxiety attack. And that's the only reason."

Edward and Bella loved to goad Alice about her premonitions, always calling them by the wrong name. Alice never failed to deliver, throwing a hissy fit every time. Sometimes she'd even stomp her feet like a toddler. However, this time she didn't even acknowledge her teasing.

"Bella, sweetie, I don't _need_ to see the future to know. You are a newborn. You have only been changed for forty-five days. It takes an entire year to be able to be around humans and even _then_ it's difficult. But again… we both know this is not what's wrong with you. I will tell you right now, that the sooner you come to terms with what is bothering you, the sooner you will be able to formulate a plan to straighten things out." Alice had begun to sort Bella's books on her bookshelf – something she did every time she came into Bella's room, which caused Bella to have to rearrange them once she left.

Bella openly stared at Alice. She knew it was futile to lie to Alice, but yet, she refused to admit to _herself_ what she was feeling. And what did Alice expect her to do, anyway? Avoiding that topic, Bella badgered her again. "Can you just _look_? Pleeeaaaase, Alice? Make the decision to take me somewhere… anywhere… and see what the outcome is. Please? I'll do anything you ask me to for the next seventy-two hours, I swear!"

Alice squinted. "Just for _looking_, you will be my slave for three days? You will do _**anything**_ I say?"

Bella felt her stomach drop, but she quickly pushed it aside, not caring in the least bit. Anything would be worth the possibility of going out into the world again. "Anything," she said with certainty.

Alice's face broke out in a huge smug grin. "Okay, fine." Smile still in place, she looked up toward the ceiling and her eyes started to glaze over. Slowly, her smile began to fade and her mouth dropped open. After a few short seconds she lowered her head and stared at Bella in shock. "Holy shit! I can't… Oh my God! It's not even… Holy shit!"

Grabbing Bella by the hand, she swiftly pulled her down the stairs, stopping abruptly in front of Carlisle. "Carlisle! You're not going to believe this!"

Calm as a cucumber, Carlisle said, "Let me guess. You and Bella are going to Port Angeles?"

Bella was still slightly in a daze from the turn of events, but she fully registered what had just been said, so she stood there gawking at Alice awaiting her response.

"Nosey smarty pants. Yes, we are going to P.A., but that's not what I was talking about! You won't believe it! She can _completely_ interact with humans. I mean, like… it's not even difficult for her! Like… well, like _you!_" Alice looked at him wide-eyed.

Carlisle smiled and nodded. "I had a feeling there was something special about her. Maybe she has a talent like you, Jasper, and Edward, and maybe it's being immune to the thirst for human blood. Although, that would be ironic, wouldn't it? It's not natural for a vampire to have no desire for human blood. It was a challenge for me to desensitize myself to the daily onslaught of temptation generated by their presence, and yet Bella does it naturally. I may need to do some research on this matter, not that I intend to find much information. Vampires tend to look down on our lifestyle. I can't imagine there being much documentation in the affirmative."

"Well, that settles it. Let's go, Bella. This is so exciting! I'm so glad you forced me to look! I'm also excited to have a slave for three days. I'm gonna have so much fun!" Alice squealed.

Bella mentally groaned. She was excited to venture into town, of course, but the thought of being that little lamia's slave for seventy-two hours was horrifying. Nothing good could come from it. Nothing.

8o8o8o8o8o8

"So, Edward, tell me about yourself. How did you become immortal?" Tanya asked as they sprinted through the forest.

_What's your favorite position? How long's it been for you? Do you have any secret fantasies?_

Edward was concerned that her mental conversations might end up ruining the moment and he _really_ needed this.

As he contemplated telling her about his transformation, he decided to leave out the part involving sex as it was just a little embarrassing on his part. He opted to tell her that a woman caught him in the alley, bit him, and left him to die… or, well, un-die. During this explanation, he realized it was eerily similar to what he had done with Bella.

_Bella. Why can I not get her out of my fucking mind?_ he thought furiously.

As if they had crossed an invisible boundary, Tanya suddenly stopped, but not before grabbing Edward by the elbow, stopping him as well. Before he even registered the movement, she had him pinned against a boulder and fiercely attacked his lips.

Edward tried to enjoy himself, but she was more forceful than he had hoped. Her lips weren't soft against his. Granted, vampire lips would probably not be considered 'soft', however, he was sure that they could be less rigid than hers were at that moment. Her hands were everywhere at once. It wasn't seductive, flirtatious, or even enticing, if he was being honest. In fact, it was flagrant, salacious, and quite raunchy.

_That would have been fuck-hot when I was human, so what the hell is the problem now?_ Edward worried.

Not even having gotten completely hard, Edward decided to thrust against her to gain friction in hopes of achieving a full erection. He closed his eyes and clutched her hips, pulling her close. She moaned and his guard slipped momentarily and he heard a few choice words floating in her mind.

He broke the ferocious kiss and trailed his lips down to her neck. It was at that moment his mind wandered to the infuriating brunette that bombarded his thoughts. It was _also_ in that moment his pants became increasingly tighter. Eyes closed, mind closed, and mouth closed, he could almost imagine she was the one he was holding right then.

One of the maniacal moving hands slipped into his pants. Edward groaned and bucked his hips.

_Just keep your eyes closed and this could work,_ he thought.

He was almost ashamed of himself for having to think of someone else in order to get a hard-on, but then he remembered all of the awful things he had done in his human life just in order to bust a nut and suddenly he didn't feel so bad. Besides, he was pretty sure Tanya only cared about getting off as well.

His thoughts were interrupted by Tanya dropping to her knees and unbuttoning his pants. Of course, the shock caused him to open his eyes and look at her. That was the first mistake.

Unzipping his pants and freeing his cock, Tanya licked her lips and smiled up at Edward.

_Not the biggest I've seen, but it should get the job done. At least I don't have a chance of gagging,_ she mused.

That was the second mistake – listening to her thoughts again.

Suddenly, her lips were wrapped around him and she was bobbing her head, moaning against his shaft.

Edward threw his head back and let his eyes roll into the back of his head. "Fuck! Yes, just like that," he said breathily.

He fisted his hands in her hair and in his mind's eye he saw Bella on her knees before him, with her lips wrapped around his cock, moaning and licking and bobbing.

He jerked his hips forward. "Fuck! Yes, Bella, fuck! That's it!"

That was his third – and final – mistake.

Tanya's teeth clamped down and Edward squealed like a girl. "What the fuck?" He jerked his hips back, thankful she hadn't bitten his dick in half. _It sure fucking felt like she had!_ he thought.

Standing to her feet, she shoved her fiery red finger nail in his face. "Never, ever, _EVER_, in my afterlife have I been so humiliated before! No one calls me by someone else's name! _Especially_ not someone as plain and mediocre as _Bella_," she scoffed. "How could you possibly be thinking of _HER_ when you are getting your cock sucked by _ME?_ You're pathetic! You just screwed up the best thing you ever could have had."

Edward had to admit that as she ran back in the direction of the Cullen's, he wasn't even the slightest disappointed. He wasn't sure who had told Tanya she was the 'best they ever had', but either they had never had a good fuck, or they were placating her. Maybe both. He wasn't sure.

_I bet Bella would be perfect. Perfect, soft, sexy lips. Perfect, tender touches. Perfect, wet and warm pussy._

His hand was stroking his dick as his forehead rested on the boulder he had been backed against minutes previously. His breathing was shallow and he was moaning as he stroked harder, faster.

"Fuck, Bella! Fuck yes! Shit!" His breathing increased right along with his stroking. "Yes, yes! FUCK! FUUUUUCK!"

The boulder cracked as his head slammed into it with his release. He banged his head a few more times as he brought himself down from his orgasm. Zipping and buttoning his pants, he chastised himself for once again performing the five knuckle shuffle to the woman he hated.

Humiliated and frustrated, Edward thought it best to not go back to the house for quite some time. He spent the next few hours entertaining himself by climbing trees, jumping streams, crushing rocks, and draining the occasional elk nearby. Anything to keep his mind off the one thing his mind was always on.

It didn't work.

He heard the thoughts before he any of his other senses noticed her.

_He wants to call me by someone else's name? I'll show that son of a bitch._

Almost to the front door of the house, Edward was joined by Tanya, who looked… well, she looked freshly fucked. Her hair was a rat's nest. Her clothes were ripped and wrinkled, and her makeup was smudged and smeared.

Knowing good and well that the other five vampires inside could hear every word she said, Tanya smiled wickedly and said, "It's okay, Edward. You can't help your feelings." Edward's eyes bulged, he was afraid of the next words coming out of her mouth. However, they were entirely different from what he expected. "I'm not a homophobe, so we can still be friends. I'm sure Emmett won't think it's weird how you feel about him. He's a good guy. He loves everyone just the same. Thanks for helping me out with my situation, though. You're gonna make some guy very happy." And then she walked into the house without a care in the world.

After gaining his composure, Edward walked in to find a mixture of reactions. Esme was mentally blushing, but outwardly she made no reaction at all. Carlisle was proud of Edward for coming clean and not hiding it from everyone. Rosalie and Emmett both matched their outward appearance with their inward – Rosalie was shocked, Emmett was worried. He really thought his gay-dar was better than that.

Alice had a smug look on her face, but once again had some random nonsense going on in her mind. However, Jasper was wondering why Edward would get so horny around Bella if he was truly gay. He knew it didn't add up.

Bella, though… _she_ was a different story. Nostrils flaring, fists clenching, and chest heaving, she looked at Edward as if he had just murdered her entire family.

_God, what I'd give to know what she is thinking right now…_ he thought wistfully.

She spun on her heel and stormed up the stairs. Everyone – except for the devious Tanya – turned to look at Edward. Every thought was the same.

_What in the world did he do to piss her off?_

Deciding to defend his sexuality at a later time, he followed Bella up to her room. Her being angry at him wasn't anything new, but at least usually he knew why.

Before he even knocked she called out, "Leave me alone, asshole. I don't feel like your shit tonight."

"Can we just talk? I swear I'll be nice."

She huffed loudly. "Fine. Whatever."

She was pacing. Pacing and twirling her hair around her finger.

Very cautiously, he approached her. "So, uh… is there a uh… reason you're mad at me tonight? Besides the obvious you-hate-my-guts-and-want-me-to-die?"

She stopped right in front of him and put her finger right in his face. "Yes! As a matter of fact, there _is_ a reason I'm pissed at you, Edward. More so than usual, you stupid ass!"

And there it was. The feisty, verbal bashing, which had a direct line to his groin. At that moment, he wanted to grab her, throw her down on the bed, and suck on the finger that was wagging in his face… among other things.

Being that his brain lacked the correct amount of oxygen necessary to tell his body the _appropriate_ way to respond, Edward simply grabbed her hand and jerked her forward. His empty hand instinctively went around her waist, pulling her against his growing erection.

She tried to protest, she really did, but there was just something Edward's touches did to her that caused a lack of coherency. With the hand he wasn't holding, she grabbed a fistful of his shirt, intending to push him back, but instead pulled him forward and growled at him.

"Why… why are you always tormenting me? You're always pushing my buttons. You _enjoy_ making me angry. And then… and then what the hell was that yesterday when you almost _KISSED_ me? Then today, you go off with Tanya and tell her you're _gay?_ What the hell are you playing at, Edward? And… why are you touching me like this right now?" she asked him, nearly whining.

Still holding her excruciatingly close, he mumbled, "First of all, I am _not_ gay, for God's sake." Bella rolled her eyes, but before she could argue, he continued. "And trust me… you fucking torment me, too. Don't you get it? I _can't_ leave you alone. Don't you think I've tried? You infuriate me! You're so… so… irritating and… hostile, and… abominable, and…" He tilted his head so that his lips were almost touching hers. "So fucking sexy and provocative."

His lips crashed down on hers. They were a thousand times better than the lips he had previously been attached to. As his lips moved against hers, he inadvertently pulled her hips even closer and they both groaned at the contact.

He hummed against her mouth and then parted his lips to trail his tongue across hers. Bella moaned, and just before she opened her mouth to allow him access, she came to her senses once again.

Jerking her head back and pushing him away, she grumbled, "No! Not again! Why are you doing this? You're gay! What the hell? Leave me alone! Get out of my room!"

Edward stared at her in disbelief as he licked his lips. "I told you, I'm _not_ gay!"

"Yeah, right! So, then you can be face to face with the gorgeousness of Tanya and _not_ want her sexually and expect me to believe you aren't gay? Come on, Edward! I'm not stupid! I just don't get why you get me all riled up like this. Now, please, leave me alone!"

Edward's hands went into his hair and he growled as he tugged harshly. "Fuck! Does _THIS_," Edward pointed to his bulging crotch, "look like I'm gay? You do this to me every damn time I'm around you! You think I _like_ having fucking blue balls all the time? Fuck, Bella, cut me some slack here."

"Whatever, Edward, just get out of my room. I don't have the patience for you tonight," she said, annoyed.

Throwing his hands up, Edward stormed out of her room.

He hated that woman beyond belief. It was too bad he felt like he was starting to fall in love with her.

**I'd love to know what you think ;)**


	8. Piece of Mind

Thanks to my LC – Alitriona/Eila, Allysue08, Rags88, and WhatObsession17. I love you guys!

SM owns

**Piece of mind**

(yes, that's spelled correctly, lol – you'll see)

Edward was furious. It seemed the more he hated Bella, the harder he fell for her. He hated how every thought, every action, every reaction – it all revolved around her. He caught himself listening to every conversation had in her presence. He picked the brains of everyone in the house listening for information about her. However, sometimes _that_ made him hate her even more.

Everyone was incredibly impressed with Bella. Edward came to the realization that while he had been out trying to get his dick wet, Bella had been off mingling with humans. _Humans._ And not thirsting for them. At all.

Carlisle was so impressed he was wondering if it would be possible to create some sort of antidote for vampirism by using her venom. No matter what his forethoughts were, this idea always lingered in his mind; just like a true scientist.

Esme was the prideful mother, looking out upon her child as if she were a prodigy – which in a way, she sort of was.

Jasper was just astounded with her progress. He had worried that having two newborn vampires in the house would be hell on his ability to deny his thirst for human blood. He was thrilled to not have to deal with Bella's thirst.

However, Jasper was constantly muttering about the lust factor. Never out loud, of course, but Edward always heard it. It was so incredibly humiliating to Edward, but there was nothing he could do. Smelling Bella, hearing Bella, _seeing_ Bella…

_Always makes me fucking hard as a rock,_ he mentally grumbled as he adjusted his current situation in his pants, which he obtained from just _thinking_ about her.

He was heading deeper into the forest – out of vampire hearing range – for another session with Rosie Palm and her five sisters. Disgusted with the fact that he seemed to always be stroking his own meat, he was distracted and didn't realize he wasn't alone until he smelled _her_.

_Fuck!_ he thought as his pants got even tighter.

"Are you following me?" Bella snarled. He still couldn't see her, but he could hear her, smell her, and damn near taste her.

_Hell, what I wouldn't give to taste her for real…_

"No, I'm not following you. I came to get away from all of the damn internal chatter going on in that fucking house. I'd give anything to turn this fucking gift off." Growling, he punched a tree and knocked it over.

Bella came into sight, grinning. "Are you trying to impress me with your manly strength? 'Cause you know… I can do that, too." She giggled.

"What are you so happy for? There's nothing to be happy about. Everything fucking sucks." He didn't mean to snap at her, but she was interfering with his plans to resolve a problem _she_ had created. She was _always_ creating it.

"Whoa, whoa… who pissed in _your_ elk today?"

Edward growled again. "Don't you have somewhere to go, something to do? _Humans_ to play with?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "Is that what this is about? Because I was around humans? I was sick of playing Susie Homevampire. I needed to get out of this place. Everyone's so happy and… and I'm sick of seeing all of the damn cuddling. I feel like a fifth wheel… or, well, a seventh."

Edward slumped down to the ground. "Fuck, I know what you mean. Imagine being in the happy fucking couples' heads. _Especially_ Emmett and his ever constant horniness. It's awful."

Bella awkwardly sat across from Edward, shaking her head. "I can't imagine. Man, Emmett is a pretty big pervert publicly, I imagine it's ten times worse in his head. And all of the thoughts of _love_ and _happiness_… yeah, I can guess it's pretty disgusting."

"And there's a lot of talk about _you_ in their heads, too. Everyone's so proud of your human interaction," he sneered.

Bowing her head, Bella whispered, "It's not something they should be _proud_ of. I didn't _do_ anything. I can't help it if I don't desire their blood. It's not an accomplishment, it's more like… I don't know, like not liking chocolate as a human or something. Maybe there's something _wrong_ with me, did you ever think that? I bet none of them thought of that."

"Psh, there's nothing wrong with you, Bella. Carlisle thinks you might be an antidote or something for vampirism." He chuckled humorlessly.

Barely audible, she mumbled, "I don't want to be special. I just want to be Bella again. _Normal_ Bella. _Human_ Bella." If she were able to, Bella would be crying, but being condemned to immortality also meant being condemned to the lack of tears. Realization of this infuriated her, causing her to lash out at the nearest person, who just so happened to also be the _reason_ for her predicament. "But of course, that's not possible, is it? Thanks to _you!_" she shouted as she stood to her feet.

Edward's already sour mood was immediately made worse by her accusations, correct as they may have been. "You think I wanted this? You think I wanted your fucking blood to be so desirable that I couldn't walk away?" He stood and stalked toward her. "You think I like being bombarded with thoughts of you every day?" Nostrils flaring, he stepped closer, backing her against a tree. "You think I like that I can never get you out of my fucking mind? You think I like being fucking horny all the fucking time because of _YOU?_"

His hands were placed on either side of her face against the tree and he pressed into her. His breath fanned across her face as his inched closer. His revelation caused her to be unable to move. She was frozen in disbelief. Was it possible that he thought of her as much as she thought of him?

With a deep, husky, _needy_ voice dripping with desire, he added, "Do you think I like having to take matters into my own hands – _literally_ – every fucking day because I can't have what I _really_ fucking want?" He shoved his erection into her hip. "Do you?"

Swallowing nervously, Bella stuttered, "W-w-what do you _really_ want?"

Slowly and meticulously, he trailed his tongue from her chin, across her jaw to her ear. "You." His tongue skimmed up the shell of her ear and then back down, where he lightly nipped her lobe, making her squeak in surprise. "I want to be buried inside you. I want to make you scream my name. I want to fuck you like an animal. Imagine what we could do without having to worry about hurting one another."

She took in a shaky breath. "W-w-well, I guess it's a shame that you can't have what you want, huh?" She reached up, grabbing him by the front of his shirt with both hands, pulling him closer. Looking him straight in the eye with a look full of vigor, she spat, "There are plenty of _animals_ around here I'm sure you could _FUCK_." She shoved him back ten feet and ran in the opposite direction.

Edward screamed several curses as he kicked the shit out of the nearby trees, toppling five in the process.

Now he was humiliated, more pissed off than he had been when he got there, and quite obviously ten times hornier.

_Why do I let her do this to me?_

8o8o8o8o8o8

Bella ran and ran until she came to a cliff overlooking the water. She wasn't sure where she was, having never asked the Cullens about the area they had brought her to. The only thing she knew for sure was not to go south more than a mile and a half, and not to go more than five miles north. Knowing this, she had run west, bringing her to the ocean.

She was momentarily nervous standing in front of the vast ocean, at least fifty feet above it, until she remembered what she was. A sudden urge to 'walk on the wild side' overcame her and she took three steps back and ran forward, jumping off the edge.

It was exhilarating! She felt as if she was flying and then she plummeted into the water like a knife through butter. Not having to worry about breathing, she descended into the far depths of the sea, until she reached the bottom. She skimmed her hands across the ocean floor, reveling in the feel of the sand between her fingers.

Bella swirled and spun through the water for what felt like hours, weaving in and out of the coral, feeling it tickle her sides. She didn't see many fish – her presence scaring them away for the most part – but the plant life and the rock formations were breathtaking. A few times she surfaced just so she could dive back down full speed merely for the thrill of it.

Finally, she made her way back to shore and began walking back toward the Cullen house. She needed to talk to Alice.

No sooner than she thought that, Alice appeared on the path in front of her, smiling, with her hands on her hips.

"You rang?" she sang with a smirk.

"Har, har. That's so creepy, Alice. I hope you know that."

"Is it really, though? You wanted to talk to me because I can see things. You wanted to ask me about what's going on and what is to come, and yet… you say it's creepy that I would know you wanted to talk? You can't have it both ways, Bella, you should know that," Alice said with a giggle.

"Yeah, yeah. Just come on. Let's walk and talk. I need to keep moving or I'm gonna go insane."

Alice scrunched her face and tapped her chin. "You know… I don't think a vampire can go insane." She laughed as she dodged the boulder Bella threw at her.

"Don't be so sure, little one. I think you could drive someone to insanity with your smart aleck comments and your 'all-seeing eye'."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Okay, Frodo, enough of that bratty attitude, what did you want to ask me?"

Dumbfounded, Bella stared at Alice open mouthed. "You mean you don't already _know?_"

Suddenly, Alice found a leaf on the ground _very_ interesting. "Nope, all I knew was that you wanted to see me." But her voice was a little _too_ innocent and a little _too_ child-like.

"Yeah, whatever," Bella grumbled.

"Sheesh, Bella, you are even more pissy than usual today, what's your damage?" Alice said, in typical Valley Girl fashion.

"It's Edward. He's driving me insane."

Alice was still absorbed in things on the ground. "Really? How so?"

Bella could tell something was up with the way Alice was acting, but she couldn't quite place it.

"It's just that… well, everywhere I turn, he's there…"

"Yeah, that's the case with all of us. We live together, hun, what do you expect?"

"No, Alice," Bella scoffed. "I mean, literally. I walk out of my room, he's at the door. I run off into the woods to get away, he's there. It's like… I would say he's stalking me, except he looks just as surprised as I am when we run into each other."

As nonchalantly as Alice was capable of, she said, "So, what's the problem? I mean… he hasn't like… seen you naked or invaded your privacy has he? Caught you in a compromising… erm… position?" She snickered.

"So, you honestly haven't seen any of our… _confrontations?_ What exactly _do_ you see, Alice?"

Shaking her head and shrugging one shoulder, Alice said, "Huh uh." But she still never made eye contact.

"Well… let's just say they get a little… _heated,_" Bella whispered.

"Heated? Like arguing?"

"Um… not _exactly_. I mean… it's kinda like arguing, but that's not the kind of heated I mean. I mean heated like… _hot_… like…" The next word was only audible to the highly sensitive ears of a vampire. "Sexual."

Bella watched Alice, and her lack of appropriate response led her to believe Alice had indeed seen some of – if not all of – their interactions with each other.

"Well, it's perfectly understandable. I mean, you are a beautiful young woman, he's a handsome young man. I'm sure sexual attraction is inevitable between you two. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Alice, don't fuck with me. I know you have seen it. I can tell by your response, or lack thereof. Why are you hiding things from me? What do you know? Please, Alice, I'm going nuts."

"Look, I don't know much. I told you that my visions change. All I know is that you and Edward have to work things out for yourselves. It's important that you do it on your own, no one can interfere."

"What do we have to work out? And _why?_ I hate him. He hates me. Can't we just continue to be mortal enemies?"

"Don't you mean _immortal_?" Alice giggled.

"Psh, smarty pants." Bella bumped shoulders with Alice, knocking her three feet to the side.

"Honestly, though, Bella, things are complicated enough with two newborn vampires 'growing up' together." Alice snorted. "Really, it's best if you aren't at each other's throats all the time. You need to learn to get along. Trust me, it's for the best."

"Do you realize you are absolutely _no _help whatsoever? So much for being a fortune teller! You're lucky I didn't pay you, 'cause I'd want a refund." Bella chuckled and wrapped an arm around Alice's shoulders.

8o8o8o8o8o8

Edward was in his room, drawing, when he heard Alice's psychotic rendition of 'Oklahoma' – in Pig Latin. Obviously, she was hiding something, but what, he wasn't sure. Until he smelled Bella come into the vicinity, right next to Alice.

He couldn't quite understand why, but Alice was always hiding thoughts pertaining to Bella. Occasionally one or two would slip through, but for the most part all thoughts of Bella were quashed by inane chatter in Alice's mind. It annoyed the shit out of him, but at the same time, he was glad to have _one_ mind not always revolved around the miracle that was Bella.

Deciding that he just couldn't bear to _smell_ her at that point in time, he gathered up his drawing pad and pencils and jumped off the balcony outside his room. He ran to his spot over two miles away, flopped down on his stomach and continued his portrait.

He was completely engrossed in the contours of her luscious neck when suddenly he heard a twig snap nearby. It caught his attention and he realized _she_ was nearby. _Again._

Edward sighed and grumbled, "Are _you_ stalking _me_, now?"

Bella didn't respond with her normal snarky comment. She simply whispered, "Maybe."

This caused Edward to jerk his head up in surprise. "What do you mean, 'maybe'?"

Tentatively, Bella sat down, noticing him sliding a large pad of paper to his other side. "Look, Edward, we need to learn to overcome our differences. It's not fair to everyone we live with having to walk on pins and needles all the time because of us. So, I thought maybe we could try to be friends. We could… I don't know… hang out?"

_Friends? Hang out? Be like buddy-buddy? Yeah, I don't think so, _Edward snarled internally.

"Yeah, I don't think that's gonna happen, Bella. We shouldn't be _friends._"

_Because it's best for me – and my Johnson – to stay far, far away from you…_

Bella looked hurt, and then angry. "Why not? You can be friends with everyone else in the house, why not me?" she shouted.

"Because I didn't fucking nearly kill everyone else in the house. Because _their_ fucking blood didn't 'sing' to me or whatever like yours did. Because everyone else doesn't get me… so fucking angry." He wasn't even about to admit his fucking horny issues to her again.

"Well, that's just fine, asshole! I was just trying to make peace, but if you'd rather live with constant fucking conflict, then so be it. Stay out here and sulk yourself into a fucking pile of goo for all I care!" She stood and stormed off once again.

Edward pulled his tablet back in front of him and realized Bella had just tainted his inspiration. He ripped the page from the binding, wadded it up and threw it as he growled and grumbled, pacing back and forth.

"I can never get her out of my mind!" He kicked a tree stump. "I can't even distract myself, because when I start to draw I realize all I draw is _her!_ I can't hang out with anyone to take my mind off her because they all _think_ about her all day!" With both hands tugging at his hair, he growled, "I'm thoroughly fucked! I can't even _FUCK_ her out of my mind! Been there, done that, and it sure as fuck didn't work!"

_Edward_.

"Look, Jasper, I don't want any of your emo-mumbo-jumbo, can you please just leave me alone?"

_I just wanna talk. I ain't gonna mess with your feelin's. Scout's honor._

"You expect me to believe you were a boy scout?" Edward snorted.

"Nah, not a _boy_ scout. I was a Navy Scout." Jasper quirked an eyebrow challengingly.

"Of course. Lemme guess… You were an amazing Naval officer because of your vampire strength and speed, and your quirky little emo ability?" Edward asked sarcastically.

Jasper laughed. "Hardly! I was an officer as a human, but I was pretty damn good, if I do say so myself." Jasper smirked.

"So what happened to you? How were you changed?"

"Well, now… that's a really long story. You sure you wanna hear it?" Edward simply sat down, leaned back on his hands and nodded. Jasper sat next to him, in much the same manner. "Well, I was in Brazil, on a reconnaissance mission. We were deep in the heart of the rainforest, and it was a torrential downpour. We couldn't see more than two feet in front of us, so as the officer in charge, I was bringin' up the rear. I lost mah footin', and tumbled a good fifty feet down below. The rain was deafenin', so mah men were unable to hear mah hollerin'."

Jasper grabbed a piece of grass and held it between his lips and blew, causing a shrill whistle. "Well, anyway, when I landed, mah chest slammed into a tree, shatterin' mah ribs. The fall had caused mah walkie to fly out of mah hand and roll another twenty or so feet away. I was unable to move. Suddenly, someone stepped in mah way. I looked up and it was the most beautiful lady I'd ever laid eyes on.

"She smiled the most amazin' smile and for the briefest moment, I forgot about the pain in mah chest. Kneelin' down in front of me, she touched mah cheek and said, 'Hey there, handsome. My name's Maria. I'm gonna make all your troubles go away.' She then lifted me up, slung me over her shoulder and started runnin'. I was in such shock that I blacked out. When I came to, her mouth was on mah neck. I thought she was kissin' me, but it started hurtin'… It hurt like hell. Ten times worse than mah broken ribs.

"Once my transformation was complete, she started trainin' me. For battle. Turns out she had a sister, Heidi, who'd also been turned the same time she was. Heidi had started buildin' an army. The sisters had been turned by a member of a local guerrilla group – which just so happened to be who we had come to scout out – and so Heidi planned to take out the whole group. Maria wouldn't allow Heidi to randomly create vampires, so she was trainin' me to help stop her."

"Wait," Edward interrupted. "But, hadn't Maria just done the same thing to you?"

Jasper grinned. "Ahh, you are a bright one, young Padawan. Indeed, she had not. I was gonna die. One of mah ribs had pierced my heart. She had heard the sputtering of mah heart and knew there was no chance of survival. Later, she had begun to feel remorse for 'saving me' by turning me into a monster, but her defense was that she 'couldn't bear to see such a beautiful man go to waste'." Jasper chuckled.

"So, then what happened? How did you defeat her? How did you get all of those scars? What happened to Maria? How did you get with Alice?"

With wide eyes, Jasper laughed. "One question at a time, man."

Edward mumbled, "Sorry."

"S'okay. So, what happened next was that Maria and I had to fight through a lot of newborn vampires to get to Heidi. Let me first say this; Maria had to train me for nearly a year in order to be more in control than the newborns we were after. It wasn't as simple as, 'Hey, you're a vampire, let's go kill these guys.' Because, if she would have taken me where there were others, I woulda just ended up runnin' with the pack." He shrugged his shoulder as if it was common knowledge.

"So, yeah, we were fightin' the newborns, and, well, newborns are somethin' fierce. Almost every darn vampire I tried to take out got a piece o' me. And thing is… they're strong. They was a lot stronger than me."

Edward noticed that the more Jasper talked about his past, the more his Southern accent and colloquialisms came out. It was actually quite entertaining.

"We managed to finally git to Heidi. She was surrounded by several bodyguards. Luckily, we had picked up a few more allies along the way, headin' to Heidi's lair, so we finally took her out along with all her dang bodyguards. It was a good thang, too, 'cuz the Volturi had been on their way. We found that out shortly after. They was so impressed with our performance they asked us to come to Italy. It was at that point that I was introduced to feelin' others' emotions."

Edward looked at him questioningly.

"Well, see… up 'til that time, I had only been around a bunch of angry, blood-hungry vampires an' Maria. When I was around Maria, I was calm an' happy, but when I was around the newborns, I was angry an' blood-hungry. I had just chalked it up to bein' angry at the ways of them vampires, when in fact, it wasn't like that at all. They had been radiatin' their emotions, an' I was absorbin' them like a sponge or whatever. When the head of the Volturi, Aro, had asked us to come to Italy, I immediately felt a feeling of superiority. Like I was better'n everyone 'round me. When I tried to push it away, an' be more humble, all three of the Volturi dudes stopped an' stared at me.

"They immediately made excuses for retractin' their offer an' they left. I had no clue what had happened, an' neither had Maria. Just before they left, one of the guards snuck over to me an' told me about mah gift. He said his name was Eleazar. He also explained that Aro was intimidated by mah gift an' didn't want to take a chance on me bein' able to control their emotions. At first, I thought he was pullin' mah chain, but then I started practicin' on Maria, which she hated by the way." He grinned wickedly.

"So whatever happened to Maria?" Edward asked.

"Well, we had made friends with Peter an' Charlotte, an' they were very much in love. Maria tried to get me to fall in love with her, but I never saw her that way. I couldn't take her heartbreak on a daily basis. It wasn't that she loved me. Not at all. She just wanted someone to love her like Peter loved Charlotte. I couldn't give that to her, so I left. I hated leavin', I really did. But I felt like Maria'd never find her a man if she was always lookin' for me to be that man. So I left an' headed north. I didn't know where I was goin', but somethin' was pullin' me north.

"An' that's when I found mah Alice. Well, actually, she found me. She'll be the first to tell you that, too." He chuckled. "I was just walkin', mindin' mah own business, an' there, standin' before me, was a smilin' angel. She was just outside the barber shop, where I was stoppin' to get a trim. She winked and said, 'Don't cut it. It's absolutely perfect, handsome.' She laced her hands with mahn an' just started walkin' an' talkin'. I never questioned her and we've been together evah since."

"Well, that's a nice little story, Jasper, but I honestly don't know what you were hoping to accomplish by telling it to me. I don't feel better, if that's what you were intending. In fact, I feel much worse."

"Actually, I was just gittin' to the part that I wanted to tell you. Alice brought us to the Cullen's house. Carlisle and Esme didn't quite know what to make of us, but bein' the generous people they are, they just accepted us. Thing was… I had been livin' on human blood, but the Cullens, well, as you can see… they don't. For the first fahv years livin' with them, I was always muckin' up. Alice was just as sweet as could be. Whenever I'd muff things, she'd just comfort me and tell me we'd try again."

Edward tried not to laugh. Jasper was talking seriously, but he was young, and…

Stupid.

"Did you just say 'muff'?" And with that, he busted out laughing.

Jasper just shook his head. "You young'uns and yer gutter minds, I swear. Anyhows, I slipped. A lot. Carlisle, Esme, Alice… none of them ever looked down on me. They may have hoped I'd done better, but we all want better for the ones we love. But they never acted disappointed in me. They were always encouragin' and supportin'. An' what you need to understand… I wasn't a newborn anymore. _You_ still are. It's entirely understandable for you to thirst an' for the thirst to be so strong that you can't take it. An' you _may_ slip. You _may_ end up failin' a few times. _NO ONE_ will hold it against you. I promise you. So, you need to quit feelin' like a failure just 'cause you want humans. Feel like a winner 'cause you ain't goin' out and findin' them. You're holdin' yourself back. That takes a lot of willpower."

Edward sighed. "Yeah, I guess. But it's hard being around Bella when it's so easy for her. Especially when everyone's so proud of her."

"Well, Edward, you have the gift – or curse, if you'd prefer – of readin' minds. Maybe this is her gift. Maybe it's not necessarily an accomplishment like you think."

"Heh. That's funny. She said the same thing to me earlier. She said it's like the equivalent of a human not liking chocolate. I don't know."

Jasper stood up and dusted off his pants. He started to walk back toward the house, but turned, glancing over his shoulder at Edward. "Your _other_ problem, however. I can't help you there. But I sure hope you figure that junk out soon. Yer killin' me, ya know." He started to walk further and paused once more. "An' let's just say… you ain't the only one causin' these problems."

Before Edward could ask what he meant, Jasper ran off chuckling.

Edward jumped to his feet and took off to go hunt.

He had a mountain lion half drained when he heard a new mental 'voice'.

_Vampire tracks. Fairly recent. Female. Without a mate. Nice._

**I'd love to know what you think :)**


	9. Confusions Delusions Illusions Allusions

I'd like to take the time to ask for forgiveness. I didn't send out teasers this past week, but I swear it will NEVER happen again. I also didn't update on time, and I'm sorry. This past week was awful. We had horrible family issues that caused a ruckus and lots of anxiety/anger/sleep loss (LOL) and then a very sweet furry member of our family went on to Animal Heaven and put us all in a horrible funk. So, yeah… it wasn't a good week. But things are looking up now, so hopefully this won't happen again ;)

I'd like to thank my LC for **NOT** being fail like me *grin* - Alitriona/Eila, Allysue08, Rags88, and WhatObsession17. I luv you guys!

SM owns, otherwise I'd be in the Caribbean right now after the week I had!

**Confusions, Delusions, Illusions, and Allusions**

Edward didn't like the sound of the thoughts he was hearing. How could someone know there was a female vampire nearby and that she had no mate? Losing his appetite, he dropped his meal and listened more intently.

He still couldn't hear physical signs of the intruder, so he just listened to his thoughts.

_Hmm, there are at least two males and another female, though she's mated. There's another…_

"I don't mean any harm, friend. I'm just passing through," the stranger said aloud along with the twigs Edward could hear snapping beneath his feet.

"Hello. Where are you heading?" Edward asked.

_Anywhere that I can find food and pussy._

"Um, actually, I pretty much just wander about. The last town was starting to get suspicious, so I had to move on." He chuckled.

Edward could finally see the stranger. He was an average-looking guy – well, as average-looking as a vampire could be. He had sandy brown hair and his eyes were red like Edward's and Bella's, leading Edward to believe he was also a newborn.

He stepped up to Edward and held out his hand. "Hey there. I'm James."

Edward cautiously shook his hand. He didn't know why, but he didn't trust this guy. He introduced himself, "Edward."

James looked around and said, "So… are you… are you alone?"

_I know others have been here recently…_

"Yeah, I am right now."

_He's hiding something. What does he mean 'right now'?_

"So, you aren't always alone, then?" James asked. Edward couldn't help but notice how weird and random his questions were. This only made him seem more suspicious.

"Uh… not always. Everyone else is back at the house, though. I just needed to get away for a while."

_WHAT?_

"Back at the house? You mean… you guys reside here? How is that possible?" James asked incredulously.

Being new to vampirehood, Edward didn't quite understand James' disbelief. "Uh… we live in a house about two miles from here. I don't know what you mean by 'how is that possible?'."

"What I mean is how are you able to reside in the same place without the town getting suspicious?"

Edward still didn't understand. "Why would the town get suspicious? Ohhh, you mean because of the sparkling shit? Yeah, we don't go to town during the day." _Some of us don't go to town at all,_ Edward grumbled to himself.

James laughed. "I would think the sparkling would be the least of their worries. Don't they notice their population dwindling?"

When Edward continued to just stare in confusion, James said, "Or do you travel to eat?"

_Man, this guy is a few liters short of a blood bank._

"Oh! Oh, no… we, um… we feed on animals." Edward hadn't realized that this was not a common thing in the vampire kingdom. Yes, Carlisle had told him he was teaching him to go against his instincts, but Edward had thought that this was a common practice among the vampires in this day and age.

James looked blankly at Edward. When he realized Edward was serious, he started laughing hysterically.

_Why in the hell would anyone drink from _animals? James thought.

"Man, that must suck for you, dude." James was still laughing.

"Eh… it gets easier as the days go by. It was difficult at first, but it's better than the alternative." Edward regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth.

James instantly sobered up. "What alternative? You mean, following _instincts_ and drinking from humans? Did you ever think that maybe vampires were created to be the universe's scavengers? You know, to keep the world from becoming over populated? We prey on the weak." He started laughing again. "Then again, _all_ humans are weak next to us, aren't they?"

Edward knew there was a reason for why he was suspicious of this guy. Apparently, killing humans was of no consequence to him. If he had no regard for human life, what did that say for his character?

"Well, as much as I'd love to stay and chit chat, I, uh… was just heading back." Edward realized he had no good excuse for going back. It's not like he was going 'home' to eat or sleep. He was going home for what? To be inside of a building and be bored out of his mind instead of being out here?

"Well, hey… would you… do you mind if I tag along? I'd like to meet others like you and… well, who knows… I'd like to know about your way of life. It'd be nice to not have to be on the run all the time." He smiled sincerely.

Edward reluctantly nodded. He still was leery about this guy, but if Alice hadn't warned him, then apparently he wasn't that big of a threat.

However, as they got closer to the house – more importantly, when they could smell the others in the house – James' thoughts took on a direction Edward didn't like one bit.

_Ahh, so this is where that unmated vampire is. Just my luck._

Edward wanted to know how the fuck he could tell if a vampire had a mate, but he couldn't let on that he was able to read his mind. At least not yet. He wanted a few more insights into his thoughts before he had a chance to filter them.

"Guys, this is James. He was passing through. He'd like to meet you guys," Edward announced while they were still a ways off.

_It's okay, Edward. I already warned everyone,_ Alice mentally assured him.

Everyone took a moment to greet the newcomer. Edward listened to the thoughts of the others as he watched James' reactions.

Emmett and Esme were simply curious about James, nothing more. Of course Carlisle and Esme were accepting of a new friend, family member, whatever he ended up being. Rose and Jasper were both as wary as Edward. Alice…

Alice was mentally reenacting Macbeth, _very_ elaborately. Edward rolled his eyes. He was so sick of Miss Cleo and her secrecy.

Obviously Edward couldn't read Bella's mind, but when Bella greeted James, two things happened simultaneously. James grinned wickedly and imagined very graphic scenes.

_Time to turn on the charm._ James straightened his shoulders and plastered a sickening sweet smile on his face.

Edward didn't like this one bit. If he warned Bella, James would hear and know he could read his mind. If he tried to stop him or threaten him, then he would give away his gift as well. He was stuck. He had to just sit and watch things play out, hoping that Bella wouldn't want to run off into the sunset with the pervert.

_Yeah, the pervert who doesn't think anything but thoughts __**you**__ have had about Bella already. Is he really so much different?_ Edward chided himself.

As they walked into the house, Edward tried to glare at Alice, but she was keeping herself busy with a 3D puzzle of Camelot, while still acting out Macbeth. _At least she's keeping a theme going,_ Edward thought.

James immediately began shaking hands with everyone. Again, Edward listened to thoughts – mainly James' – to get a feel for the situation.

Emmett sized him up and found him to be a less than acceptable opponent. Oddly, Rosalie was thinking the same thing. Carlisle immediately noticed his red eyes and worried that James would cause problems with the locals. Esme was too busy watching Carlisle's reactions to make her own assumptions. Jasper was worried about Alice and her lack of socialization. He knew she was hiding something as well.

However, James' thoughts were what worried Edward the most.

_Maybe if I pretended to like animal blood, they will let me hang around for a while. Just long enough to get that sweet thing to fall in love with me. Heck, who needs her to fall in love? I just need her to be willing to follow me_.

Edward was really uncomfortable with James' plan to 'pretend' to like animal blood, but again, he couldn't warn anyone without letting on to reading James' mind.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck! What the hell am I supposed to do?_ Edward thought.

"So, James, do you travel alone or should we expect more company soon?" Carlisle asked politely.

"Nah, I'm a loner. I usually prefer it that way, but… y'know, seeing your lifestyle, I feel like I'm missing out by being alone. You guys seem to have a nice thing going here." _'Specially that fine piece of ass right there,_ he mentally added.

Unable to hold it back, Edward growled, causing the whole room to turn to him. "Uh… sorry, I just… you know, it's difficult to think about being alone again," he mumbled, feeling like an idiot.

Of course, Bella had to speak up for the poor, deprived _loser._ "That must be really hard… being alone. How long have you been on your own?"

"As long as I can remember, actually. About seventy-five years ago, I ran with a guy named Laurent for a few weeks, but he was a weird dude. I couldn't stick around for too long."

Edward's head popped up. "You mean… you aren't a newborn?"

James laughed out loud, while the Cullens only laughed mentally. _At least they are respectful of my feelings,_ he thought.

"No… why on earth would you think that?" James said, still chuckling.

"Your eyes… they are red, like mine and Bella's. Not _gold_ like the Cullens'."

Holding up his hand, Carlisle explained. "Well, the eyes are indicative of human blood. You see, as newborns, you and Bella still have human blood in your system, and you will for about a year. James obviously feeds on humans, therefore he continues to have the eye color long after his newborn year has passed."

Edward noticed Bella suddenly had a sorrowful look on her face and he could only hope that it was James' choice of diet that had her so upset.

Unfortunately for Edward, James noticed Bella's face as well.

_Oh, purty little thing must not like my diet. I need to fix that real quick._

"Yes, and that's why I wanted Edward, here, to introduce me to you guys. I'd like very much to learn your ways of life. I don't like that I have to feed on humans. I never knew there was another way. I have never met anyone like you guys. It's very intriguing… promising. I'd love to be a _humane_ vampire." James _sounded_ very convincing, but his thoughts said otherwise.

_Humane vampire, what a crock! Humans are disgusting, weak-minded fools. The world would be a better place without any of them. Of course, we'd be a lot hungrier without them._

Bella's eyes lit up at James' admission. Edward caught himself rolling his eyes. Of course, Bella also caught Edward rolling his eyes and she glared at him.

"Well, I think it's very admirable for you to want to change your way of life, James," Bella said sweetly, jutting out her chin defiantly.

_Wonder-fucking-ful. Bastard comes in and immediately gets in her good graces. I can't win her over no matter how hard I try, _Edward mentally grumbled.

8o8o8o8o8o8

Edward was on the verge of losing it. He had desperately tried to get alone with somebody – _anybody_ – to warn them about James, but every time James left, he asked Edward to be one of the ones to come with him. His excuse was that since Edward had fed on humans before and has since become a 'vegetarian' (James' label for them), so he could relate to James' difficulties with conforming.

Though Edward was furious with not being able to stay behind and warn the others, he _did_ enjoy watching James' discomfort with drinking from animals.

_Oh my God, this is fucking disgusting! My efforts better pay off, 'cause this has to be equal to a human eating straight shit._ James' thoughts usually consisted of some form of complaint and comparison. It was always difficult for Edward to keep a straight face. He loved seeing him uncomfortable. It was quite amusing.

Finally, two weeks after James had appeared, Edward was able to convince Bella to follow him alone. He had to use the excuse of wanting to show her something exceptionally _beautiful_ that he had found in order for her to come, and also to ensure James would stay behind. It would have been extremely difficult for James to come up with a good explanation as to why he wanted to tag along to see something 'beautiful'.

They were near Edward's hang out when he finally stopped and started talking to her.

"Bella, I have to warn you. James isn't exactly what he seems."

Bella huffed and shook her head. "You are unbelievable, Edward. Absolutely unbelievable! I had a feeling you would be jealous of James. But I can't believe you would call me out here just to start talking shit about him! This is low even for you, Edward."

"No, you don't understand, it's not like that. It's –"

"No, Edward, it's _exactly_ like that," Bella said, cutting him off. "You have been nothing but a pain in my ass since the moment we met, and now you can see that I am enjoying James' company and it's killing you. James is a nice guy. In fact, _you_ should probably take some pointers from him and learn to be a nice guy yourself."

Without another word, Bella stormed off again.

Edward had obviously chosen the wrong person to try to warn.

8o8o8o8o8o8

"So you don't crave human blood at all? Not even a little bit?" James asked during a game of Scrabble with Bella.

"Nope, I sure don't. I walked among them in the town nearby and it was no different than I remember as a human. Well, except now I can hear their heartbeats, and that's a little weird." She laughed.

"Hmm."

Bella looked up and noticed James had a sour look on his face. "What? You act as if that's bad or something…"

He smiled and shrugged. "No, it's not bad, I was just thinking how it must be so much easier for you, 'cause I'll be honest with you…" James leaned forward and whispered – as if no other vampire could hear him, "This is really fucking difficult for me." He chuckled.

Bella's face fell and she lowered her eyes to the table.

James immediately felt bad. He reached across the table and put his hand on Bella's and asked what was wrong.

"I just… I don't want things to be easier for me than anyone else. It doesn't seem fair. And I just want to be normal."

He began to rub her palm gently with his thumb. "Bella, vampires aren't exactly _normal_, you know?" He smiled and winked.

"Yeah, but, I thought at least I could be normal in the sense of being like other vampires, you know?" She sighed dejectedly.

James stood up, still holding Bella's hand, pulling her to her feet and said, "Hey, let's go for a run. It'll be fun."

Alice looked at her watch, and quickly jumped to her feet. "Wait one minute, please, James. I need… um, I need Bella to look at something really quick first."

Bella looked at her questioningly, but complied.

Alice took her up to her room and stopped briefly, looking around like a lost child. Bella started to speak, but Alice quickly cut her off. "Oh yes, that's right. I wanted to know if you'd like for me to make you a skirt like this." She held up a skirt that Bella had never seen before. "I wanted to make you one, but I didn't want to waste my time if it wasn't something you'd like."

Bella gawked at Alice. "Okay, first of all, do you honestly expect me to believe you _forgot_ what you came up here for? Vampires don't forget anything, you already told me this. Second of all, I know you didn't make that skirt. That is the _ugliest_ skirt I have ever seen. I can't believe you would even have that in your hands, let alone _make_ it. And last but not least, you would _know_ if I was going to like or hate something you gave to me, so don't pull this crap on me. Why did you really call me up here?"

"Um… I just wanted to tell you to have fun." She mouthed, 'Be good,' and grinned.

Bella rolled her eyes and shoved Alice's shoulder. "Whatever, skank." Bella laughed as she walked out of the room.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Alice said, laughing.

Bella reached the bottom of the stairs and James was already holding out his hand for her. "Are we ready?" he asked charmingly.

Just then, Edward opened the door. "Who's ready for what?" he asked suspiciously.

Bella looked at him angrily. "_James _and I are going for a run. _Some men_ know how to treat a lady with respect."

Furrowing his brow, Edward asked, "By taking you for a run? How is that treating you with respect?" Edward laughed even though he felt like doing anything _but_ laughing.

"By being gentlemanly and offering her something to do other than sit around this boring house… or _ARGUE_ with her like _some_ people do."

"Okay, okay… that's enough of this pissing contest… this rather strange and awkward pissing contest," Emmett said. "James and Bella just wanted to go for a run, no biggie. No need for you guys to get all huffy about it. C'mon, Ed, let's go play some L4D2."

Bella and James continued through the doorway, and Edward slammed the door behind them, effectively knocking it off its hinges.

Edward's eyes bulged. "Shit, I'm sorry, Esme… Carlisle… I didn't realize I slammed it so hard."

Edward could hear James chuckling as he ran off with Bella.

He could also hear James' thoughts before he was out of range. _That's zero for Loserward and one for the Jamesman._

"Asshole," Edward mumbled.

"Now, Edward, James has been very courteous and respectful. I don't know why you would have issues with him. Besides, it was Bella who was making the snarky remarks just now, not James," Carlisle said, politely.

Edward made sure James was out of hearing distance before he spoke. "That's because he has you all fooled, Carlisle."

"Hey!" Rosalie jumped to her feet, and started to tell him off, but he held up his finger to explain himself.

"You guys don't hear his thoughts like I do. He's only _pretending_ to be like you guys. He does nothing but complain about the diet and make fun of you guys for not drinking from humans. He has no intentions of continuing this way of life."

"I don't understand, why would he pretend?" Esme asked. "We didn't force him to choose our way of life, it was _his_ choice." Her voice took on a tone of sadness.

"Because he wants Bella," Edward sneered. "He somehow knew she had no mate before he had even met her. I have no clue how."

"How long have you known that he wanted Bella?" Rosalie asked snidely.

"Since the day I met him. He has mentally made it clear from the get-go."

"And you are _JUST NOW_ telling us?" she nearly screamed.

"Have you not noticed that I couldn't get one single minute away from him? It's almost as if he was reading… Oh shit! Do you think he can read my mind, too? Oh fuck!"

"No, he can't, don't worry," Alice said.

Everyone looked to her expectantly.

"He's a tracker. He knows a lot of things about people just by their actions and smells. As gross as that sounds, that's how he knows Bella has no mate… because she…" Alice sighed and quietly continued. "Because she doesn't smell of semen, like those of us who, um… _regularly_ have intercourse do."

"So you knew?" Edward asked disbelievingly.

Alice shrugged and nodded.

Edward shouted what everyone else was thinking, "Why the hell didn't you tell someone?"

Alice sighed and rolled her eyes. "Because, nimrod, nothing happens, okay? At least… nothing bad does."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean? What do you consider _bad?_ Does Bella become James' mate? Please don't fucking tell me she runs off with James?" Edward was shouting and at this point he didn't care if he just told the whole house how he felt about Bella. He couldn't bear to think of her with James. It was too much. He needed to know what was going to happen.

"Well… I don't exactly know yet. Bella hasn't made the decision. But James doesn't do anything wrong either way," Alice explained.

"'Doesn't do anything wrong'? How about lying and telling you all that he wants to live your lifestyle when he doesn't?"

"Yeah, well, since I can't read minds, I didn't know that was a lie. All I see is him actually feeding from animals, so I thought it was legit." She looked toward Carlisle remorsefully. "I really didn't know, I'm sorry, Carlisle."

"Wait, wait, wait," Edward protested. "How did you know he was after Bella?"

"Um… 'cause I saw him ask her."

Just before Alice was able to cover up her thoughts, she let it slip that James was taking Bella to ask her to run off with him at that very minute.

"Alice, what the fuck?" Edward screamed and slapped his forehead.

Jasper stood up quickly. "Hey, now, calm down."

"Why did you let him leave with her if you knew he was gonna ask her right _now_?"

"Because, Bella is a smart woman. I don't think she would run off with him so soon. She has only known him for two weeks."

Edward huffed and grabbed two fistfuls of his hair. "How long did she know _you_ before she started living with you, huh?"

"That's different. We saved her life. And besides, she didn't know anyone else. She didn't have much of a choice. She has a choice this time, and I really don't think she would run off with a stranger. Unless…" Alice pointed her finger right at Edward. "Unless, _YOUR_ stupid ass pissing contest pushes her away. You're too overbearing. You need to try to woo her. I've stood back all of this time, hoping you'd get that stick out of your ass and wake the fuck up, but you are so… so… _childish!_ All you can do is fight with her like a boy in elementary school."

"Hold on… what do you mean you've 'stood back all this time'?" Edward asked, narrowing his eyes.

Alice blew out a huge breath of air. "You know what? I'm so sick of hiding this crap from a damn mind reader anyway. Do you know how hard it is to constantly find things to keep your mind _OFF_ of what it's automatically on? For fuck's sake! Here's what I know, Edward. I know you want Bella. I know you keep _failing_ at your attempts to win her over and I know that if you don't change your game plan, you are gonna miss your chance."

"Miss my chance? What have you seen, Alice?"

"Actually, Alice's visions have been very sporadic and vague, and she needs to keep quiet before she makes things worse," Jasper said through his teeth.

"No, no, no… please. Please tell me what you mean," Edward begged. Yes, he stooped low enough to beg. "Please tell me… is she gonna run off with James eventually?"

"Honestly, Edward, I haven't seen that far. You have yet to make the correct decision which is the deciding factor. And I honestly can't tell you what that will be. Your future changes almost daily. You are so undecided about everything. You can't make up your mind. If you would just make a decision and stick with it, I might be able to see something."

Edward growled, "Yeah, well, even _I_ can't decide what I want to do. Every day my mind changes. She's just so… so… so fucking infuriating. And yet…" He huffed and hung his head. "And yet, I can't get her out of my mind."

"Yes, dude, we know. Trust. We know." Emmett not-so-inconspicuously nodded to Edward's crotch, which was luckily _NOT_ bulging at that time.

"Shut up, Emmett, no one needs to hear from you and _your_ horny brain," Edward grumbled.

"What do you mea – oh shit! Dammit! Why the fuck you gonna be all up in my head like that?"

"You think I _LIKE_ being 'all up in your head like that'? Especially _your_ filthy head. I can't turn this fucker off. I'd give anything to be able to sometimes."

At that very moment, the entire room started worrying that they had thought something incriminating in some way or another. Apparently up until that point, they had never realized just how much he could read their minds.

Edward just growled and stormed out of the house, stepping over the door still lying on the ground.

8o8o8o8o8o8

"That was fascinating! I rarely ever run full-speed, and I have never jumped across a gorge like that!" Bella would have been out of breath if she were a human. However, since she was an immortal and it was unnecessary to breathe, she wasn't even the slightest bit breathless.

"Yes, it was fascinating. I have never had the pleasure of running with someone else, especially not a beautiful woman," James said demurely.

"Psh," Bella said, slapping his arm. "I bet you say that to all the girls."

James looked at Bella seriously. "First of all, I have honestly never hung out with a woman, let alone a _beautiful_ one. And second of all…" He turned toward her, and trailed his finger down the side of her face. "You are far from a _girl_, Bella."

Bella smiled and lowered her gaze to the ground. James hooked his finger under her chin and raised her face to look at him. "Bella, you are an amazing, beautiful woman." James leaned toward Bella, slowly; so slowly that she wasn't sure what he was doing until it was almost too late.

His lips merely inches from her caused her to spring into action. Pulling back, she whispered, "James, I'm sorry. I'm not… I… I can't."

He dropped his hand and groaned, "It's that Lameward idiot, isn't it?"

"Huh?" Bella questioned.

"You have a… a _thing_ for Edward, don't you?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

"No! Of course not. It's just… I barely know you. I'm… I'm sorry, I just… I'm not ready, yet."

"Do you think you will _ever_ be ready, Bella? Seriously? I mean… I really like you. I think we could do well together. We could travel together. You could get away from this boring place. I can see it in your eyes, Bella. You're much too good for this life. These people are holding you back. Come away with me. We could have so much fun together," he pleaded.

"I'm sorry, James, I just… I really like the Cullens. I enjoy it here. Can't you stay and you and I could get to know each other better? I'm not… I'm not ready to leave this place. I'm sorry."

"Hey, I understand. I don't know how long I can stick around, though. I enjoy this lifestyle, but… I'm a traveler, Bella. I'm already itching to go to a new land. But… I want you to come with me. Please?"

"I… I'm sorry, James. I… I just can't. Not yet. I need more time. Can, you just give me time to think? To weigh my options?"

James smiled. "Of course. I will leave you alone for some time. But know this, Bella." He leaned very close to her once again. "We could be so good together." He swiftly leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. "So good," he whispered, and then ran toward the Cullen house.

Bella began to run. She ran this way and that way, and just let her mind wander as she flew through the forest. She finally threw herself down to her knees and held her head in her hands. She didn't know what to do. She was so conflicted.

As if the universe had the answer, the wind shifted and something white blew in the air near her. She followed the object with her eyes until it landed right between her feet. As she picked it up, she realized it was a wadded piece of paper. Slowly, she opened it, and smoothed it out. What she saw took her breath away.

It was a portrait of her. Every minute detail was surprisingly accurate. A Polaroid couldn't have captured her any better. It was stunning. She was mesmerized as she trailed her fingers over each indentation the pencil had made.

At the bottom of the page, Bella noticed written words.

In a beautiful, elegant script were the words: _Irritatingly beautiful temptress_

Then she noticed the angry scrawl beneath it:

_She fucking owns me_

**Thanks for reading ;)**


	10. I hate you! dot, dot, dot I think

Thanks to my LC – Alitriona/Eila, Allysue08, Rags88, and WhatObsession17. I love you guys!

SM owns

**I hate you! …I think**

It took everything in his power to keep Edward from following Bella and James. He knew he was being a jealous asshole, but he wasn't about to go down without a fight. He needed to figure out how to get Bella to understand he wasn't lying and trying to mark his territory or something along those lines.

He didn't know what he would do if Bella chose James. He knew she didn't want _him_, but to lose her to James would be a huge blow to the ego. Especially since he knew James was manipulating her and lying to appear as something he wasn't.

Once Edward had cooled off, he went back to the Cullen house to speak with Carlisle. Carlisle seemed to be the most levelheaded one of the bunch, and Edward really needed some insight.

However, The Oracle had different plans.

Edward could hear her thoughts before he could even see the house.

_You don't need Carlisle to tell you what you need to do. You know in your heart what you need to do._

"I wouldn't be too sure about that. I haven't the foggiest what to do."

As he walked into the house, everyone looked at him in worry.

"I'm sorry I busted the door. I lost my temper. It won't happen again."

Alice mentally snorted.

He grimaced and her eyes bulged as she realized she let that slip.

"So… what? It _does_ happen again?" he asked snidely.

"I didn't say that," Alice quipped.

"Not _verbally_ you didn't."

"You guys know how frikken annoying it is to hear _half_ conversations?" Emmett groaned.

"You know how frikken annoying it is to hear _all_ of your mental conversations? Now, shut the fuck up and deal," Edward spat.

"Testy, testy." Emmett rolled his eyes.

"Whatever," Edward replied. "Don't you get sick of the little omnipotent freak all up in your business all the time?"

That was the last straw for Alice. "First of all, if you're gonna call me a freak, do it properly; it's omniscient, not omnipotent," she snapped. "And honestly, I'm not 'all knowing' either. Just… somewhat knowing. Second of all, they hate my visions about as much as your freaky telepathy, so bug off."

"Actually," Jasper drawled, "You each have yer own benefits from yer powers, an' they come in handy at particular times, but I'd have to say – an' I'm not biased in any way – but it's a bit less annoyin' to have someone seein' yer future than to be present in all of yer private thoughts, so y'all need to cut each other some slack and jes try to get along."

To ensure that everyone calmed down, Jasper enveloped the room with a feeling of giddiness. As a result, the group started giggling and snorting.

Emmett threw a pillow from the couch and hit Jasper upside the head. Having been sitting on the edge of the arm of the chair, Jasper fell to the floor from the impact. This only caused everyone – including Jasper – to laugh harder.

They were still laughing when James came in. "Whoa, you guys having a party? Am I invited?" He chuckled.

Edward's mood instantly sobered. He tried to bite his tongue, he really did, but it was impossible when faced with the arrogant expression of James. "What's wrong, James, did Bella turn you down?" Edward asked superciliously.

James smirked. "Actually, it's quite the opposite. She was all over me. I had to take a break, she was wearing me out. That woman is an animal in the sack!"

In a split second, Edward crossed the room, socked James in the jaw and knocked him to the ground. "You sick fuck!" He crouched down over James and started bashing his face in. James took several blows before he came to his senses and started fighting back.

The two of them wallowed around each one momentarily getting the upper hand only to lose it once again. They traded punches and elbows and knee jabs until finally, Edward heard a thought that distracted him enough to get pinned in a choke hold.

_Damn, this better pay off. If that bitch ends up putting out for me, this will be worth it, but if she doesn't…_

Emmett finally stepped in and pulled the two of them apart. "Alright, that's enough. You guys need to take a chill pill. For real. I mean, c'mon. If you're both gonna live here, you're gonna have to learn to get along. James, you might not want to disrespect the lady like that. Especially when she's not here. I don't really think she'd appreciate that. And Edward, you're um… you're gonna have to get used to James being here. I mean… if Bella chose James, there's not much you can do about it. So, chillax. Both of you."

"What the fuck ever," James sneered. "I'm not sure I'm ready to stick around here. I think the lack of human blood makes _some people_ psychotic. I need a break from this place. I need some time to think. Tell Bella I'll talk to her in a few days. Or don't. It's up to you guys. Anyway, I'll be back in a couple days."

James walked out the door and ran in the opposite direction from where he had come.

8o8o8o8o8o8

Bella wandered the woods surrounding the Cullen house for several hours after her discussion with James and consequently her finding Edward's drawing. She was so conflicted.

She knew she had an unnatural attraction to Edward. Not so much _unnatural _as _irrational._ She was completely asinine to have any feelings for that dickhead. He was a hotheaded, stubborn jackass who had no regard for her feelings. He was disrespectful and entirely inconsiderate. And yet, she nearly drooled at the thought of him.

But then there was James. James was so considerate and respectful and such a gentleman. He was compassionate and kind and he made her laugh. However, she had absolutely _no_ physical attraction to him whatsoever. When he tried to kiss her she would have hyperventilated if it were possible. The thought scared her to… _un_death. Whatever.

And that picture. What was up with that picture? It was absolutely stunning. She never knew he was talented. And she surely didn't think he would draw _her_. What did it mean? The words at the bottom…

_She fucking owns me_

Did he really have feelings for her other than sexual attraction?

8o8o8o8o8o8

Returning to the Cullen house, she was no closer to a decision than she had been hours before. However, within minutes, she was leaning more toward her instincts of complete hatred of the asshole in front of her.

"What do you mean 'he's gone'? Why did he leave?" Bella asked Alice upon her admission that James would be back in a few days.

"Well, he was –"

Edward stood, throwing his arms in the air angrily. "He was fucking bragging about 'you wearing him out', so I sucker punched him! He got pissed and ran off," Edward shouted.

Bella growled, anger surging within her from Edward's meddling in her personal business. "You are such an ass! You need to grow up! Why the fuck can't you just leave me alone? Are you so against me being _happy_ that you would do anything to ruin my life? Is that what it is? It's not good enough that you have made me a freak of nature, but you have to prevent me from having any type of relationship as well?" With each sentence Bella took another step until she was inches away from his face.

"Answer me this, Bella; do you like the fact that he told everyone what a wild _fuck_ you are?"

Yes, he ad-libbed a bit, but James was a bastard and Edward wasn't about to make him look even remotely decent. But he never expected what happened next.

_SLAP!_

Edward just stared, completely flabbergasted.

"You are a lying prick!"

Bella turned, running up the stairs to her room, and Edward took off out the front door in anger.

"Is it just me, or are people always running off into the woods now that Bella and Edward are here?" Emmett asked, completely unfazed by the events that had just taken place.

"Time for remediation," Alice said as she fluttered up the steps.

She didn't even bother to knock, knowing Bella would tell her to go away. "I need to talk to you," she said as she walked into Bella's room. "There are some things you need to know."

"Look, Alice, I appreciate your concern, but I'm not really in the mood right now. I don't want you to try to make me _understand_ Edward or whatever your plan is. I just need to be alone, please?"

"I'm sorry, I can't do that. I have stayed out of things, letting you and Edward figure things out for yourselves, but this time I need to let you know something and then I will leave you alone. It's very important."

Bella huffed. "Fine, whatever."

"Well, Edward's right about James."

Bella jerked her head toward Alice. "What do you mean? How is he right? James is a nice guy. _Edward_ is the dickhead!"

Alice looked down as she quietly spoke. "No, no, that's not true. James was only sticking around to try to make you his mate. He doesn't want to be like us. He can't stand drinking animal blood, and… he… he came back _bragging_ about being with you."

Bella was completely shocked. "WHAT? But I… we… oh my God! I can't believe that! What… what did he say?" Her question was barely above a whisper.

"You don't wanna know. But _that's_ why Edward hit him. He was very rude about how he spoke of you. I mean, yes, Edward was acting out of jealousy as well, but he made sure to let James know that he should never disrespect you like that. He was completely defending your honor."

Groaning, Bella hung her head. "And I slapped him for it. I'm such a bitch."

"You couldn't have known, hun. Just go… um… make it up to him." Alice had suddenly found a book on the other side of the room to be very interesting, so her back was turned to Bella.

"You're right. I need to go apologize. Thanks, Alice."

Still not looking at Bella, Alice answered, "Sure, hun. Just you know… he's probably really hurt, so you know… be um… persistent."

8o8o8o8o8o8

Bella went straight for Edward's normal hangout, even though she had a feeling he wouldn't be there. And he wasn't.

But she was able to pick up his scent, so she followed it. She found him several miles away, tucked into a crevice of a nearby hill with his hands tugging away at his hair.

She knew he could hear her, smell her, and sense her. Yet he remained unmoving. She walked closer, but refused to sit.

"Edward… look, I'm –"

"Just… please, just go back to the house. I'm not in the mood to fight anymore."

She rolled her eyes. "I know, I'm not trying to fight, I just –"

He growled, "Bella, I said _please_ just leave me alone. I want to be alone right now, okay? Can't you get it through your thick fucking skull?"

She flailed her arms and shouted, "No, I can't you stupid ass! I'm trying to apologize!"

Edward jumped to his feet and was standing close enough for his breath to fan across her face when he spoke. "I. Don't. Want. Your. Fucking. Apology."

Without missing a beat, Bella spoke right back. "Tough. Fucking. Luck. Asshole."

Stepping closer to her – so close their bodies were now touching – he said in a sinister voice, "Why do you have to be so fucking difficult?"

Bella didn't back down. In fact, she stepped even closer, impossible that might have seemed. "Why do _you_ have to be so fucking stubborn?"

Edward's face inched toward hers. "Why do you have to be so fucking…"

He was cut off by Bella's, now violently attached to his. He wasted no time in responding. His hands were on her voluptuous hips, grasping, digging, begging.

Her hands were in his hair. His soft, silky hair. Threading, tugging, yanking.

Their lips moved roughly against each other frantically.

"Ungh," he moaned against her lips. He had wanted this for so long. And it wasn't anything like he had imagined. It was a million times better. He couldn't get enough.

At the same time, their tongues slipped through lips, battling against one another.

Bella found herself pinned against the rock wall; the hardness digging into her back was overpowered by the hardness digging into her hip. She bucked forward, both of them moaning at the contact.

One of Edward's hands lowered to the back of her thigh. He grasped it tightly, hitching her leg around his hip. When his erection came in contact with her center, she whined. She had wanted him _right there_ for so long.

"Fuck… Bella…" Edward's lips had moved from Bella's mouth to her neck, where he was now panting against her skin.

Unable to fight the want – the _need_ – any longer, Bella wrapped her other leg around his hip, causing her to be fully suspended; only being held up by Edward and the wall behind her.

Edward nipped at her neck. "Fuck, you're so fucking sexy, Bella." He thrusted his hips forward with rhythmically.

Bella slid her hands down his neck, digging in her nails as she went. He growled and bucked again. As he began sucking on her neck, she grabbed the collar of his shirt and with very little effort ripped it from his body.

"Shit!" She giggled.

"Mmm," Edward hummed against her as he licked up the column of her neck until he reached the lobe of her ear. "That was so damn hot."

Edward's hands had been slowly trailing up her back beneath her shirt. Realizing she had on too many articles of clothing, he grabbed a handful of her shirt and tugged the slightest bit, ripping it and causing it to fall to the ground.

He chuckled against her neck and she gasped. "Yeah, that's much better," he said as his skin slid against hers, the sensation causing his dick to ache with need.

Bella could feel how hard he was, and she couldn't stop her hand from trailing down between them and grabbing a hold of his bulge and caressing, rubbing, squeezing.

"SHIT!" he moaned as he let his head fall back.

Bella took this opportunity to lean forward and trail her tongue down his throat, stopping at his collarbones and nipping. This caused him to jerk forward again and squeeze her ass.

He lowered his head and looked her in the eye. "Bella, I want you. I need you." He captured her lips with his once again.

Bella couldn't take it anymore. She wanted him so bad. And the words he spoke made her need that much more intense.

She popped the button on his jeans – literally – and reached into his pants, wrapping her fingers around his shaft.

"Holy fucking shit…" he panted.

Edward removed one hand from her perfect ass, only to grab one of her even more perfect tits. He groaned as he tenderly squeezed and mumbled, "So perfect."

His fingers trailed against the swell of her breast for the briefest moment, before he lowered her bra, releasing her from its confines. Bella continued to stroke him as he then lowered his mouth to wrap his lips around her hardened nipple.

They both gasped at the feeling. She rubbed him a few more times and then she jerked him harshly.

"What the fuck?" He didn't know why he yelled; it didn't hurt. In fact, if he was perfectly honest, it was even more of a turn on than her soft strokes, but the movement took him by surprise.

Bella released her legs from around his hips and dropped her feet to the ground. A worried look came over his face, but she didn't remove her hand from his dick as her lips morphed into a cocky smile. With her other hand, she tugged his jeans down. "You're wearing too much clothing."

He lifted an eyebrow. "I could say the same about you." In the blink of an eye, he ripped her jeans and they fell to the pile of clothes already on the ground.

Bella angrily pushed him, so that he was now the one with his back to the rock wall. "Do you _enjoy_ tearing my clothes from my body?" she asked furiously.

Edward smirked indignantly and clutched her hips. "As a matter of fact, I do."

He pulled her to him, only two thin layers keeping him from his desired destination. He growled into her ear as one hand lowered excruciatingly slowly between her legs. "This is your last chance, Bella." His fingers dipped beneath the elastic of her panties and he began to lower them. "Do you want this as bad as I do? If not, you better stop me now, because once I get started, I'll be damned if I'm gonna be able to stop."

She didn't answer verbally. She looked at him in defiance, slipped her hand into his boxers and yanked him contemptuously. He took that as permission, so he slid his fingers in between her moist lips and circled around her clit, making her cry out and thrust her hips forward into his hand.

"Ahh, so wet, Bella. You're ready for me, aren't you?"

She jerked him again, with more force this time. "Just shut your cocky mouth and fuck me, asshole."

He dug his fingers into her hip and menacingly said, "Fuck, are you trying to jerk my dick _off_ or something?"

"Are you gonna actually _use_ it or should I go about matters by myself?" With a quick movement, she tore the waistband of his boxers, completely exposing him to her.

Edward nibbled her ear and said, "Fucking hell… don't tease me like that."

Bella quirked an eyebrow. She pulled her hands away from Edward's body and stepped back two feet, so that his hands were no longer on her. She took a breast into each hand and pinched the nipple between her thumbs and forefingers. Closing her eyes, she threw her head back, groaning.

"Shit," Edward whispered.

With her head still thrown back, she lowered her hands slowly down her body until she came into contact with her panties. She hooked her fingers into the elastic and slowly shimmied out of the pink lace.

Suddenly, she was pinned against the wall once again. Edward's hand was back between her legs, spreading her lips as his other hand held his dick right at her entrance.

She was tired of waiting for him; she wrapped her legs round his waist yet again and lowered herself onto him.

"Fucking son of a bitch," he uttered under his breath. "Fuck, you feel so good."

Bella clawed at his back and he slowly began to pump in and out of her, both of them moaning with every movement.

One hand rested on her hip, while the other caressed her nipples, one after the other. All the while his lips roamed over her neck, her jaw, her cheek and her lips.

"What the hell Edward? Are you gonna be a gentleman _now?_" Bella panted. "I thought you wanted to 'fuck me like an animal'," she snarled.

Edward slammed into her once and stilled his motions. "Is that what you want, Bella? You want to be _fucked_? Or do you want me to treat you with respect?"

Bella tightened her leg hold around his waist. "Fuck respect, Edward. All this time I have wanted respect and you don't give it to me, and now that I want you to manhandle me you try to be a gentleman? Fuck that!" She lowered her mouth to his ear. "I want you to _FUCK_. _ME_. _LIKE._ _AN_. _ANIMAL._"

"Son of a cocksucking mother fucker!" he yelled as he started pumping into her with abandon.

Edward cupped her ass with both hands and continued to pound her, not feeling remorse in the slightest once he heard her groan, "Harder, fucker. Harder!"

Raising her hands above her head, Bella grabbed onto an uneven part of the rock to give herself leverage. She was then able to help show Edward just how much 'harder' she wanted it.

A few thrusts and he was panting, "Holy fuck" repeatedly against her shoulder, where he rested his forehead.

He was close, so close, but he didn't want to end it that way. There was no doubt in his mind this was mind-blowing sex. It was the most incredibly heated encounter of his long and varied sex life – despite the fact both their bodies were cold now. But that had been it. This was because it was Bella, and because he had feelings for her that went beyond physical. _That_ was making it more, and suddenly he didn't want to fuck; he wanted something tender. He wanted her to know she was more than a fuck among a thousand fucks. He halted his movements.

Bella continued to try to move, but Edward held her still.

"The fuck? Don't you fucking stop right now, Edward. I swear to God I'll rip your balls off if you don't finish this."

"Bella… I… I don't want our first time to be like this. Not against a rock wall. At least, let's go to the grass?"

"Oh for the love of God. Stop the chivalry. This sexual tension needs an outlet!" She pulled his hands from beneath her and placed them on her breasts. "Now finish this before I find someone else who's willing."

Edward grumbled, "I don't fucking think so."

He lowered his hands back to her hips and began driving deep into her once again.

They were both panting heavily and on the verge of climax.

"Fuck a fucking fuckhead fucker!" Edward screamed out as he came.

Bella was mid-orgasm when he shouted these words, causing her to bust out laughing, while still reaching her peak. It was the most ridiculous, awkward, but fucking awesome experience of her life.

The two of them held onto one another as they came down from their high, breathing rapidly. Edward started placing gentle kisses along her shoulder and up her neck. Once he reached her ear, he whispered so sweetly, "Oh Bella, it's never… _never_ been that way for me. That was fan-fucking-tastic. You are amazing. And fuck if that wasn't the hottest sex I've ever had as well." He pulled back just enough to slip out of her, but still be able to hold her in his arms, softly kissing her bare skin everywhere he could reach.

Finally catching her breath, Bella chuckled. "Yeah, I… uh… I've never acted like that before. I don't know what came over me. I think you just piss me off so bad and… I needed to release some anger." She ducked her head in embarrassment.

Edward ducked his head and sweetly kissed her lips. "I need to piss you off more often… cause you are sexy as hell like that."

Bella giggled. "Well, I have to admit… it was… um… rather _enjoyable_."

Edward leaned forward again, kissing her tenderly. Once he had experienced her lips against his, he didn't want it to end. He could stay lip-locked with her forever and be satisfied.

Bella enjoyed everything about being with Edward. The kisses, the touches, the squeezes, the nips, and – holy hell – the penetration.

"We should, um… probably head back. With us both being angry, they may send out a search party." Bella laughed.

They both started grabbing their clothes and it wasn't long before they realized there wasn't much in the way of intact clothing for them to put on.

"Dammit… I'm gonna have to ask Alice to bring us some clothes. That's not embarrassing at all," Bella mumbled.

Just then her cell rang.

"Must be Dionne Warwick," Edward grumbled.

Bella chuckled as she answered.

"Just around the corner to the south is a pile of clothes for both of you. See ya when you get back." Alice ended the call before Bella had a chance to respond.

"Yeah… this isn't awkward _at all._" Bella rolled her eyes and walked toward the pile of clothes waiting for them.

**Thanks for reading!**


	11. Patience is a Virtue

**GINORMOUS, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT A/N**

First of all, I am so sorry for leaving you guys hanging for so long. So many things happened in my life and real life is just more important than fanfic ;)

During this time, I have come to the conclusion that I need to leave fanfic. I have completely quit reading already. However, I have been sitting here contemplating what I am going to do with MeV. I have had three chapters just sitting here – one beta'd (this one) but the other two not. I really love this story, but I don't have enough readers to force myself to finish the story. HOWEVER, don't fear, I won't leave you hanging. I'm going to post the other two chapters I have and the ¾ of one I have written and then I'm just going to post the last "chapter" as a summary of sorts so that everyone will know the ending. To be honest, it's only a summary of 2 or 3 chapters, lol. What I have written is so close to the end seriously. It's just that fanfic has taken up so much of my life and my family misses me! :(

On a good note, my husband is healthy again! He has been sick for years and he is finally feeling a thousand times better. This is another reason I am quitting fanfic. I know many of you won't believe what I am getting ready to say – and that's okay – but God is totally the reason hubs is better, so I need to get my life back on track and make HIM my number one focus once again.

I less than three you all (lol) and have enjoyed this journey tremendously. Thank you each and every one of you for reading, reviewing, rec'ing, alerting, and PM'ing. I have all of my reviews saved because they mean so much to me.

As usual, thanks to my rocks – Alitriona/Eila, Allysue08, Rags88, and WhatObsession17! I have made such a strong friendship with you guys through all of this fanfic writing nonsense, lol. I am so glad to be friends with you all!

SM owns, of course (If not, I wouldn't be behind on my electric right now! lol)

**Patience is a Virtue**

Edward watched Bella as she put on the clothes Alice had left for her. He couldn't explain it, but something was wrong with the way she was acting. At that moment, he would have given anything to be able to read _her_ mind. He could tell the gears were turning, and the expression on her face told him that he would not like what she was thinking.

Once he had slipped on his boxers, he stepped to her and cupped her face between his hands. "Hey. What is it?"

Bella scoffed. "You don't think this is all sorts of fucked up? We fucking hate each other, Edward. We totally just gave in to our stupid hormones just to get off! I don't do that kind of shit! I don't just fuck guys. In fact, this will be my very first walk of shame. Though… it's kind of weird since it's not the next morning and… well, I'm not leaving your house to go home. Regardless, I've never had one-night-stands before. I can't believe I lost my head like that."

Bella's admission pissed Edward off. Here he had thought they had made some leeway with their relationship; that they were finally going to quit behaving like some angry, horny teenagers. Apparently he was wrong. _Very wrong._

"Well, I don't do that kind of shit either!" he yelled at her angrily.

Bella cocked an eyebrow.

_Well, she's got a point there, _Edward thought to himself.

"Okay, so maybe I do… but… I thought this was different. _YOU_ were different. I just…" Edward decided maybe it was best to not admit to any of his feelings. Obviously, Bella didn't feel the same way. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. You're right. We hate each other. It was a mistake."

But to Edward, it wasn't a mistake. The _mistake_ was telling Bella that it had been.

Bella dressed quicker than Edward, and she immediately ran toward the house. However, she didn't go _to_ the house. She couldn't face anyone. What she had just done was the hardest thing ever. She wanted nothing more than to tell Edward that she _wasn't_ that way. That it _did_ mean something. But she couldn't take the chance of being just another conquest of his. She was fairly certain that Edward truly _did_ hate her, and she couldn't fathom the thought of him being honest with her once she poured her heart out. So she did what she did best – she ran.

8o8o8o8o8o8

_Edward, may I speak with you?_ Carlisle thought quite loudly as Edward entered the house.

"Do you mean _speak_ or do you mean _think?_" Edward asked sarcastically.

"Forgive me. Yes, we can speak verbally," Carlisle said from his office.

"Fine, whatever," Edward snapped. He didn't mean to take his anger out on Carlisle, but he was now more confused than ever about his relationship with Bella. He wasn't looking forward to speaking to _anyone_, especially Carlisle, who could read him like a book.

He stepped into the office where Carlisle was seated behind his desk, writing furiously on a tablet. Without looking up, he motioned for Edward to have a seat.

He continued to write and Edward was beginning to think he wasn't going to speak at all. He was getting nothing from his mind, he was simply thinking of what he was writing.

_Five gallons of dark brown paint_

_Three gallons of light brown paint_

_Two rollers_

_Eight roller brushes_

_Paint thinner_

_Two pair of coveralls_

_I hope this works… _

Suddenly, Carlisle stood from behind his desk. "Would you like to go with me to pick up some supplies? We can chat on the way if you don't mind?"

Edward really wanted to get away from the house, so he didn't even think twice about his answer. "Hell yes!"

As Carlisle turned the key in the ignition of his Vanquish, he burst Edward's bubble. "I will have to stop just outside the city limits and run the rest of the way. We can't have you coming in contact with humans just yet." He smiled politely.

"Of course not," Edward replied dryly. "After all, I'm not Bella."

Carlisle pulled out of the garage and glanced at Edward. "Edward, that's not what I meant. _You_ are not the exception, you are the rule. _Bella_ is the exception."

"Exactly. Bella is an _exceptional_ vampire," he said mockingly.

Carlisle sighed. "Look, I have been around for a very long time. I have been around many, many vampires. More than you will likely see in your… um… lifetime?" Carlisle wasn't quite sure of what word to use so it came out more like a question.

Curious, Edward dropped his attitude and asked, "Why have you been around more than most?"

Carlisle chuckled darkly. "Well… it's a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it all?"

Nodding emphatically, Edward answered, "Of course!" Carlisle didn't know it, but Edward had loved to listen to the stories in his head as he went through memories occasionally, but they were never complete. This would be his chance to finally hear something in its entirety. He was a little more than excited about it.

"Well, I grew up in London in the middle of the seventeenth century. My father was a pastor. He led hunts for witches, werewolves, and vampires to 'destroy the world of evil'."

"Wait," Edward cut him off. "So, you were a _human_ when you found out about vampires?"

"Yes, I was. In fact, when I was a little older, my father put me in charge of the hunts. I had never _seen_ them, and to be quite honest, I wasn't sure if I believed in them. Sure, my father would tell me stories of his personal raids upon them, but having never seen them myself, it made it rather difficult to wrap my head around."

"Tell me about it. After _becoming_ one, I had a hard time wrapping my head around it." Edward realized he had interrupted Carlisle again, so he hung his head. "I'm sorry. Continue."

Carlisle smiled. "It's okay, son. I can completely understand your curiosity."

Edward felt a strange sense of belonging when he realized Carlisle had just called him son.

"So, my father had given me orders to seek out these 'abominations' and destroy them. I wasn't too keen on killing like my father had been; however, I had found a coven of vampires and decided to set a trap. I managed to trap one and began chasing him down. The plan backfired on me, and he turned to attack me. I had three other men with me, so the vampire merely incapacitated me, killed two others and then took the third and ran away."

"Shit, that's crazy," Edward mumbled.

"Tell me about it," Carlisle chuckled, repeating Edward's phrase back to him. "So, once I… well, I guess you'd say 'woke up', I knew immediately what I was. I was horribly ashamed. I knew I couldn't go back to my father. I mean, for goodness' sake, he _killed_… my kind… and it was incredibly difficult to accept that I was now included as a 'kind'. I didn't want to be what I had become. I didn't want to feed from humans. I didn't want to have to _run_ from my father. So I tried to kill myself."

Edward's head snapped up. "But you… you're still here. It didn't work?"

Carlisle chuckled darkly. "We are nearly invincible. Nothing I tried worked."

"What… what all did you try?" Edward had never even thought about suicide when he was trying to refrain from killing humans. He wasn't sure _why_ he hadn't thought about it, and hearing that Carlisle had been unsuccessful made him grateful that he hadn't.

"I jumped from a very tall building, I tried to drown myself. I even tried to kill myself by starvation."

"You jumped from a building and survived? How… what happened?"

Carlisle actually snorted as he spoke. "I landed on my feet… they actually went about six feet into the ground before coming to a stop. And drowning? Yeah, well, we don't even have to breathe, so I was under the water for hours and hours before I finally came back out, drenched and humiliated."

"And so… starving didn't work. How… many people did you kill before you found out about animals?" Edward felt awful for hoping that Carlisle's number was bigger than his, but at that moment, he needed encouragement.

But he didn't find it in Carlisle's answer.

"None." Carlisle noticed Edward's expression and immediately continued. "Like I said, I tried to starve myself. By doing so, I had to take myself away from human population. I went far away from the city. Eventually… and I don't know how long it took, but it felt like ages… but, the hunger became so strong that when a nearby herd of deer came too close, I pounced and drained two of them so quickly I hadn't even realized what I had done. However, I had come to the conclusion that I could survive on animals. I felt like less of a monster by abstaining from human blood."

Carlisle noticed Edward's dejected demeanor and paused. _What's wrong?_ he thought.

"I couldn't resist, Carlisle. I hated what I was doing, but I couldn't stop myself. Eleven times. Twelve if you count Bella. Hell, of _course_ we have to count Bella. Your boys are the only reason I stopped."

Carlisle sighed heavily and pulled off the side of the road in order to give Edward his full attention and look him in the eye. "First of all, we _don't_ count Bella. You need to talk to Emmett about his encounter with his singer, it might help ease some of your guilt."

"His… singer? I remember… when I met him and Jasper, they said something similar… what was it? Something cantante…" He scratched his chin as he tried to remember the words. There was so much going on at that time, and he wasn't actually paying attention to what was being said, especially since he was so overcome by the desire to take Bella.

"Yes, la tua cantante. It's a phrase often referred to when discussing someone so irresistible to one of our kind. I hadn't been sure it was real until Alice saw it in one of her visions. There are rumors about singers, but I had never met who had come across theirs before Emmett. They claim that every vampire has one singer. That human's blood sings to them only – like the Sirens Odysseus encountered. Many vampires have gone to the ends of the earth looking for their singer. Legends have said that a singer's blood gives great power to the vampire to whom the blood sings. Of course, I now know this isn't true, now, but the legend still goes around. Anyway, I'm getting off topic here. My point is that you can't hold yourself accountable for how you responded to Bella. The fact that you were – and still are – a newborn would make it impossible to deny yourself human blood, let alone your singer's blood. You need to quit being so hard on yourself."

"Carlisle, I appreciate your attempt at consolation, but the fact of the matter is… I was weak. I… I still am. I've… I've always been weak. I will always be weak."

Carlisle placed his hand on Edward's shoulder. _All men are weak when it comes to love, son._

Edward gasped and laughed humorlessly. "Love? What are you… I don't know what you're… That's absurd."

Smiling, Carlisle put the car back into drive and pulled back onto the road. "We seem to have gotten off topic a bit. I was trying to tell you _why_ Bella is the exception. After I found that I could survive on animal blood, it took much effort to desensitize myself to the smell of human blood. Two hundred years, to be precise. I was finally able to walk among humans with no desire harm them. In fact, I had a much stronger inclination to _help_ them. I had seen so much death and destruction throughout my time interacting with humans, that I had hoped to help rather than hinder the human race. I began every aspect of medical training from that point on. Still, at that point in time, I had only met the occasional vampire. That was until I began studying in Italy. The Volturi are native of Italy, therefore the country is riddled with them – more specifically, Volterra. Aro, their leader, had caught wind of an aberrant vampire who worked among the humans. He sent for me, and unfortunately, you learn fairly quickly that when a member of the Volturi sends for you, you have no choice but to succumb."

Carlisle turned onto a gravel road and parked once he was hidden from the road. "I'm afraid I can't take you further than this, but it's a short distance for me to run, so I won't be gone long. Please stay here, Edward. You will only bring yourself more sorrow if you try to follow me." Carlisle looked at him pleadingly.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Of course, Carlisle. I couldn't do that to you. I'll stay here. And we'll continue this conversation, right?"

Nodding, Carlisle grinned and said, "It would be my pleasure." And then he disappeared.

8o8o8o8o8o8

Meanwhile, a little over sixty miles away, James had caught the scent of several vampires. Most of them were newborns, but one in particular – a _promiscuous_ female – beckoned to his more carnal desires. The time he had spent around the Cullens – particularly Bella – had been harrowing on his sexual appetite. Especially with how much he had lusted after Bella.

She was a beautiful, sexy woman, and on more than one occasion he had wanted to ravage her. When she turned him down, it had been a huge bruise to his ego, but he had still planned to wait for her. At least for a little longer.

That was until he had his run-in with Edward. It was obvious Edward had some sort of feelings for her, but the signals she gave as to whether or not she reciprocated those feelings were rather mixed. As it turned out, James just needed to get away and clear his head. He needed to think without the interference of meddling vampires.

He tracked the scent of the female vampire that had caught his attention, finding her in some seedy bar, pulling a male human behind her by the hand.

As soon as she caught sight of James, she dropped the human's hand and bared her teeth in warning.

Only loud enough for her to hear, James whispered, "Why settle for a human, when I can give you what you _really_ desire?"

The gorgeous redhead licked her lips, glanced down at James' bulging crotch, and grinned.

8o8o8o8o8o8

Barely thirty minutes had passed when Carlisle returned to the car. He smiled and nodded. "Thanks for staying, Edward. It means a lot."

Edward scoffed, "I told you I would. I keep my word, Carlisle. I may be a lot of things, but a liar isn't one of them."

"Well, I appreciate that. And I never took you to be a liar, it's just that… well, I wasn't sure you wouldn't try your luck at resisting the humans. I was just worried you would attempt to prove yourself. I'm sorry for doubting you."

"God, no. I know what that scent does to me. I can remember it like it was minutes ago. I won't temp myself like that, you can bet the bank on it. But… I have to know. If you thought there was a good chance that I would go… why did you leave me here? Why did you trust me?" Edward asked sincerely.

"Well, Edward, we all have to learn on our own. We can't just take someone's word for it. It would be wonderful if we could learn from others' mistakes, but it's just not the case. We grow from our own mistakes. I had hoped you wouldn't need to see for yourself, but it was _your_ decision to make, not mine. I'm not your ruler, your father, or your boss. I'm your friend. I will never demand for you to follow my rules. I will simply try to help you to lead the life I lead if you so desire. You are always free to go. Free to live your own life. But I will always be here for you."

"But… what if I'd have –"

"Alice would have called me and I could have stopped it. I assure you, no humans were at risk," Carlisle said with a smile.

Edward smiled back. "Thanks, Carlisle."

"Anytime, son."

Smirking, Edward said, "I thought you said you weren't my father."

Carlisle chuckled. "Well, I'd like to think of myself as a father _figure_ to all of you. I feel like you are my children. And I mean that in the kindest way. But, I would never order you around like a father orders his children."

Edward nodded. "I never had a good father figure before, so… well, thanks."

As they drove back toward the house, Carlisle continued his story about his time with the Volturi. He wouldn't discuss what his role had been, but he explained to Edward how many vampires he had come in contact with and how freely they fed from humans because it was their instinct, their nature. He told him that fighting their instinct was _not_ natural, it was _not_ easy, and by no means would any vampire ever look down on those who were unable to avoid temptation. _Especially_ one that hadn't been taught any other way.

Edward felt measurably better after their trip, but he still had the issue of Bella festering in the back of his mind.

_Would I be able to persuade you into helping me paint the barn on the back forty?_ Carlisle asked silently.

With his hand on the door to exit the vehicle, Edward quirked an eyebrow at Carlisle. "Barn on the back forty?"

Carlisle snickered. "Excuse my nomenclature… eh… lingo. I tend to revert back to my younger years sometimes. I forget that you young ones haven't spent time on a farm. 'Back forty' is just another word for the very back of the property. We have a barn back there, and it's looking rather shabby, so I thought it would be nice to liven it up. I thought we could _bond_ in the meantime." Carlisle grinned.

"That would be a nice reprieve of the daily monotony I'm used to."

Stepping out of the Vanquish, Carlisle looked at Edward questioningly. "Would you like to drive?"

Edward's eyes bulged and he gestured to the extravagant sports car they just stepped out of. "This?"

Carlisle pushed a button on the garage door remote and said, "That," nodding his head toward the John Deere Gator XUV.

"Hell yeah!" Edward nearly shouted.

8o8o8o8o8o8

"Not that I'm complaining in the least, but you seemed to be trying to fuck someone out of your system, just now," the redhead said to James as she righted her dress.

James sighed. "I guess you could say that. I just… well, I think I just wasted a few weeks of my time with some freaky vampires."

"Well, I don't normally do this, but… well, would you like to go somewhere and talk? My name's Victoria."

"James," he said with a cocky smile. "Sure, we can go talk. It'd be nice to get some of this crap off my chest."

Victoria led James to an old abandoned warehouse outside the city – a place where she spent her time when the sun was out. James paced as he told her about the Cullens and their strange way of life.

"Wait. There were _newborns_ there? Like… _HOW_ new?" Victoria asked.

"Well, the male was 'older' than the female. Apparently the male tried to drink from the female and the Cullens stopped him from killing her. I never found out how they knew, but… well, they seem to know things before they happen, but it's not all the time."

"Why would they save her, though? I mean… why would they stop him once he had already bitten her? It was over." Victoria wasn't resentful of what she was, but she knew that most vampires wished they had never been changed; that they had died instead. So, she couldn't understand why they would allow her to change instead of just die.

"I don't know. I never found out that much. But I know that they don't believe in hurting humans. And they are teaching them their way of life. The female has never drunk from humans. The male has, but they must have caught him early after he was changed." James shrugged.

"So, tell me. What has you so distraught?" Victoria asked.

"Well, the female, Bella, she… she had no mate. I… well, I've been alone for a long time, and I had a wild idea that I could possibly… I don't know…"

"Seduce her?" Victoria smiled slyly.

"Well, not exactly seduce… more like… _convince_ her to be my mate. But… but I think she's fucking hung up on the male, Edward."

"_Edward_? Wait… what does he look like?" Victoria remembered the name Edward. It was such an uncommon name in this day and age. She remembered hearing a bartender asking about Edward a while back. When he explained to the patron who he was talking about, Victoria realized it was a guy she had fucked and bitten in the alley. She had expected him to come find her like she had advised, but he never did, and she hadn't figured out why.

As James began describing him, Victoria became angrier and angrier. Had she known he would run off to become some goody two-shoes holier-than-thou vampire, she would have made sure to be there when he had transformed. This was not what she had wanted. These vampires were a disgrace. A joke. An _insult_ to all vampires. They were disgusting.

"How bad do you want that Bella?" Victoria asked snidely.

8o8o8o8o8o8

"I'm so glad you were willing to help me, Edward. It will be nice to have a companion to talk to. This job can be pretty boring alone," Carlisle said, smiling.

"Do you usually do this alone? Why, when you have so many others who live with you?" Edward asked, perplexed.

"Well, that's the thing. Jasper often helps, but I can tell it bores him." Carlisle chuckled. "I can't help but _feel_ his boredom. I don't like asking him. I feel bad. As for Emmett… well, he seems to think that just because we can move at superhuman speed, we should do _everything_ at superhuman speed."

Edward looked at him quizzically.

Carlisle chuckled and began gathering the paint and supplies. "One of the hardest things to learn in life is patience. You have to learn that sometimes if you try to rush things, the outcome isn't what it's supposed to be. If you try to paint too quickly, you will smear the lines, defiling what could have been perfect. The outcome, which would have been perfect and beautiful, ends up just being mediocre and second best."

Somehow Edward had come to the conclusion that Carlisle wasn't just speaking of painting. He couldn't help but feel that Carlisle was speaking more along the lines of Edward's relationship with Bella and trying to avoid cornering him. Despite Emmett being the one who had met his singer, it was Carlisle who understood him the most. After all, he was the vampire doctor. Out of all of them, he fought his destiny the hardest. Instead of feeding on humans, he saved them. Wasn't that what Bella was? If she truly was his singer, wasn't she some messed up destiny of his? The destination that every fucked up situation he had ever been in had led him to, including turning her. By fighting her all this time, hadn't he just been fighting the good that could come from it?

Carlisle continued, "Sometimes, even with our abilities, the world around us isn't moving at the same speed, and we have to slow down to meet it. We can't expect the world to rush forward and meet us just because we want it that way. We need to take our time and pay attention to all the small details."

Edward grabbed a paintbrush, lifted his hand and began stroking the air, snapping his wrist at the top and the bottom. "Thank you for your insight, Mr. Miyagi."

"Mr. Who?"

Edward laughed. "You don't watch much television, do you? Never mind. It's just… yeah, some old guy taught some kid pearls of wisdom through painting, and it just… I was trying to be funny, never mind me."

"Are you calling me old, Edward?" Carlisle asked with a serious face.

"What? No, no, I, uh…" Edward stopped when he heard Carlisle laughing.

"I'm three hundred and sixty-nine, Edward, I think you could say I am old. I don't take offense."

Rolling his eyes, Edward slapped Carlisle on the back. "Fine, _OLD_ man, let's get busy."

Edward actually enjoyed painting that afternoon. He enjoyed feeling human again, committing to _human_ manual labor. He only wished it wasn't just for one afternoon.

**Thank you to those who continue to read even though I fail ;) I will post the other chapters very soon.**


	12. Calm before the Storm

Ok, sorry for the false alarm, but hubs convinced me to finish this story, lol. So, I will be continuing it. I already wrote some of the next chapter (15) and I think this will be done around 17 or 18 chaps ;) I can't guarantee how quickly this will update because of course my family has to come first. My betas have chapter 13 and 14 already, so I will post as I get them back. I would also like for you all to know that I have had this plot planned for months, so if it is similar to any fic that you know (because I found one or two) it was unintentional, I swear!

Thanks to my support team: Alitriona/Eila, Allysue08, Rags88, and WhatObsession17. I love you guys!

My co-writer (though she denies it) helped me a bit with a certain citrusy part of this, lol. She helps me all the time, but refuses to take credit. However, I am giving it to her anyway! LOL! ILY Alitriona!

SM owns, I just play with ;)

**Calm before the Storm**

Carlisle's phone started ringing in his pocket. Edward had an uneasy feeling as Carlisle put his paintbrush down and looked at the caller ID to see it was Alice.

She was already speaking before he could even greet her. "We have company on the way. James is coming back, and he has a female with him. My visions aren't very clear, but I don't see trouble… yet. However, everything beyond our greeting is blurry. You guys may want to come back and we can discuss."

"How long until they get here?" Carlisle asked.

"Four hours."

Carlisle and Edward cleaned up their supplies, storing them in the barn to continue later. Edward wanted to get back to the house quickly to see the visions himself. He didn't trust James as far as he could throw him. Actually, being a vampire, that analogy no longer held significance. He just didn't trust him.

8o8o8o8o8o8

As soon as Edward was close enough to hear Alice's thoughts, he told her to 'replay' the vision. When she did, he immediately noticed Victoria and he froze.

_What is it?_ Carlisle asked.

"She's the one who changed me. And then left me to fucking fend for myself," Edward growled.

"I have a feeling this isn't going to end well. We all know James is after Bella, and it would beg to reason that Victoria is now after Edward. We may need to prepare for the worst," Alice warned.

"I have an idea. I don't relish the thought of killing another creature, even a sadistic one. However, there are ways to incapacitate them if they try to harm us," Carlisle said, thinking aloud.

"That really works?" Edward asked, reading Carlisle's mind.

"Perfect idea, Carlisle!" Alice exclaimed.

"Come on! Quit having these creepy one-sided conversations over there," Emmett whined.

"Dead man's blood, Emmett. I can obtain blood from the hospital from patients who have passed. That will paralyze them enough so we can gain the upper hand, which shouldn't be difficult as we outnumber them."

"But… vampire skin is impenetrable. How will the dead man's blood affect them?" Bella asked.

"There are three things that can penetrate vampire skin: vampire teeth, werewolf teeth, and sharp objects coated in dead man's blood," Alice said, smiling.

8o8o8o8o8o8

To keep up the pretenses that they had no idea James and Victoria were on their way, everyone in the house made sure to be busy when the time came for their arrival.

As soon as they were within hearing distance, James spoke up. "Hey guys, it's just me, James. I brought a friend, I hope you don't mind?"

"Any friend of yours is welcome here, James," Carlisle said in a friendly manner.

Edward made sure to listen to their thoughts, which seemed nonthreatening at that point.

_I really thought Edward would come back and find me. I know that night had to have been memorable for him. Then again… maybe he held a grudge for my leaving him,_ Victoria thought.

_I hope Bella has made up her mind… and that she chooses to come with me._ Then suddenly James' thoughts shifted. _Son of a bitch! I knew she had a thing for Edward. Unless… nah, he's the only one she would have fucked, I'm sure._

Edward had forgotten that James was able to know when a female had had sex. _This may complicate things_, he thought.

"I'd like you guys to meet Victoria. She, too, would like to try her hand at vegetarianism, if you guys would be willing to help her as well." _Ha! I bet she's not even willing to try to drink from a damn animal,_ James thought.

_The fuck? I never said I wanted to conform. What's this imbecile thinking?_

"Of course. The more the merrier." But Carlisle's thoughts didn't coincide with his spoken word. _What are they really here for? It doesn't seem like she's any more interested in changing than James is._

"Nice to meet you all. I seem to already know one of you. I have actually been looking for you since the night I met you, Edward. I wanted to apologize for running off and leaving you. It was wrong of me, and I'm sorry," Victoria said sincerely. Edward almost forgave her – seeing her merely replaying the night of his change in her mind. But, she let a single thought slip through: _How could he ever think of another woman after being with me? He's a moron!_

Completely surprising Edward, Bella sat down on the couch beside him, grabbing his hand gently, and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He quirked an eyebrow at her and she smiled shyly and shrugged her shoulders.

Carlisle greeted James and Victoria at the door, ushering them inside. James' gaze went directly to Bella. So quickly that it wouldn't have been perceptible by human eyes, he pursed his lips and flared his nose, but quickly righted himself with a beaming smile.

"It's good to be back. I'm sorry to have taken off so abruptly, I just needed a breather and to gain perspective of my situation." James smiled politely.

Victoria looked apologetically to Edward, but her thoughts betrayed her actions. _So he'd rather waste his time on this little bitch, huh?_

Alice gasped as the briefest vision passed through her mind of Victoria snapping Bella's neck.

Everyone quickly looked her way and she giggled. "I'm sorry, I just remembered, there's a two-hour sale on Coach Bags that I don't wanna miss! I'll be right back." _Don't worry, Edward. I think she was just contemplating it. I don't see any further deliberations from her. I'll keep an eye out, don't you worry._

Everyone took a few moments to introduce themselves to Victoria. Edward was barely able to hide his grin as he listened to Rosalie and Victoria size each other up – both thinking the other was slightly inferior to themselves.

Even Esme, the 'mother hen' of the bunch was wary of Victoria. _Something about her rubs me the wrong way. I hope just once in my life I am wrong in my judge of character,_ she thought.

Carlisle was only concerned about Edward. _Are you alright, son? I know this must be difficult for you._

Edward glanced at Carlisle and minutely shrugged his shoulders letting him know he was fine either way.

Jasper and Emmett both were more concerned with their wives than Victoria, so their thoughts were of a protective nature.

Alice tapped away on the computer in the other room, while searching her visions for any indication that James and Victoria were a threat. Most of the visions were so blurry they were of no consequence. _I'll keep watching, Edward. You keep listening in on their thoughts and let me know if anything changes. I don't trust them, but so far I can't come up with evidence as to why._

8o8o8o8o8o8

Throughout the evening and into the early hours of the morning, the Cullens told Victoria about their way of life. They each took time to explain how they became vegetarians and why they stuck with it. Outwardly, it seemed as though she was interested, but Edward knew better.

_For fuck's sake, how can people be so naïve to think this is a life? Denying your very nature? Does a lion deny his instincts and turn to plants and vegetables to be humane? Fuck no. Even the humans they desire to be like consume the animals below them on the food chain, and yet these idiots refuse to accept humans as our prey. They are crazy. I'll be doing Edward a favor by taking him away from this lifestyle._

"Well, you have certainly given me a lot to think about," Victoria said, smiling. "It's nearly time for the sun to rise. Today is going to be a sunny day, so I better head back to my _lair_ while it's still dark." She chuckled. She could no longer feign interest in the Cullen's way of life. Things were too sugary sweet, and she needed to get back to the bitter-tasting world she was used to being a part of.

"I'd really love to try this way of life, but… I just don't know yet. I think I'm used to a more fast-paced lifestyle. I just can't see myself living day in and day out in this monotony. I just… I need some time to think it over." _Edward may not come with me yet, but I will figure a way to come back for him… and James to come back for Bella._

Esme nodded. "We understand," she said, sounding disappointed. "It's not a way of life for everyone. But… you'll keep in touch?" Esme, ever the optimist.

_Sure, I'll keep in touch. After all, you have something I want._ "Um… yeah, I'd like that." Victoria smiled a sickeningly sweet smile.

"Yeah… um… I should probably go as well. I think I had an erroneous belief about my having been wanted. However, I'd like to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to try your lifestyle. Thank you for accepting me unconditionally." James' thoughts abruptly turned to envisioning himself with Bella… very provocatively.

It took everything in Edward's power to keep from attacking, or at the very least growling. He was, however, rewarded by Bella scooting closer to him and tucking herself into his side, glancing up at him with a small smile.

Carlisle shook hands and wished them a safe journey. "Our home is always open to you, should you change your mind."

"Thank you, Carlisle." James quickly nodded to each person and left the premises along with Victoria.

As soon as they were out of range, Edward spoke up, "They'll be back."

At that exact moment, Alice saw a new vision play out. She and Edward both gasped loudly.

_Bella's tied up by her wrists, hanging from the rafters of the barn. Turpentine has been spilled around her and matches lie nearby. James and Victoria are both taunting her, laughing. James is running his hands all over her body, grinning wickedly as she tries unsuccessfully to fight back._

Suddenly, Edward rose up and flipped the coffee table across the room, sending it through the front window.

"THE HELL? !" Emmett shouted, instantly standing.

_See? You said you wouldn't do it again,_ Alice thought, smirking.

"This isn't a time for jokes, gypsy," he snarled.

"Would someone like to explain what the hell is going on?" Rose yelled.

Edward started pacing as Alice explained, "I saw a vision, and it's not good. Victoria and James have Bella tied up in the barn. I think… I think they plan to kill her."

Bella gasped. "To kill me?" she nearly screamed.

Edward growled, "Over my dead… what the fuck ever. I don't fucking think so! It's not gonna happen."

Bella just stared at Edward. If she didn't know better, she would have thought he was being _protective_ of her. _Edward is pretty hot when he goes all protective, _Bella thought, and then mentally slapped herself for thinking that way.

Esme put a hand on Bella's shoulder and asked her if she was okay.

"Yes, I think I must just be in shock," Bella explained. _That would explain why I was more concerned with how hot Edward looked than for my own safety, _Bella thought.

"We'll figure out how to stop them, don't worry," Jasper assured them. "Alice's visions will help us, I'm sure."

Alice sighed and shook her head. "That's the thing… I don't think my visions are accurate. Or… well, maybe they just aren't thinking ahead? I can't explain it, but I'm only getting bits and pieces and I can't see how it comes to pass. I'm afraid… I'm worried that we won't have any warning."

"Well, the first thing we need to do is hunt so that everyone is in top form," Carlisle suggested.

Everyone agreed and they then decided on a 'feeding rotation' so that everyone wasn't away from the house at once. Alice's visions were clear for the time being, so they deemed it was a safe bet to go out in pairs.

Carlisle and Esme went first, while the others stayed behind and contemplated actions to be taken.

"Maybe we could send Bella away?" Rosalie asked, shrugging.

"To where, Rose?" Edward asked snottily. "No place is going to be safe. James is a tracker; he will find her anywhere she goes."

"But if we send her to Denali, there will be other vampires there to help hide her out while we stay here to try to throw him off the path," Rosalie explained.

"Denali? ! Rose, do you forget who lives in Denali? That's not even an option. That's like taking her out of the frying pan and throwing her into the fire." Alice rolled her eyes.

"Psh, so you say sending her to stay with a jealous whore is worse than staying here and facing a deranged tracker who wants to kill her? Jeez, Alice, you have your ideas all screwed up," Rosalie snorted.

"Well, since you guys are talking about me as if I'm not even present, I think I will go spend some time in my room for a while. I need to read and get my mind off things," Bella said jokingly.

Alice and Rosalie continued to argue as Bella ascended the stairs. Edward watched her worriedly. He wanted to comfort her, but he was afraid of overstepping his boundaries when it came to Bella. He decided to stay with Jasper and Emmett instead of go to her like he so desperately wanted.

Bella wasn't in her room more than fifteen minutes when Alice lightly knocked on the door – catching her by surprise. When Bella read, her mind was so enraptured in the story she wouldn't hear anything coming or going.

"Hey," Alice said, smiling. Bella marked her place in her book and closed it. She could tell by the look on Alice's face she most likely wouldn't get back to reading anytime soon.

"Have a seat." Bella patted the bed beside her.

Alice sat down tentatively. "So… how are things between you and Ed –" Bella quickly covered Alice's mouth with her hand.

She held up her finger and jumped up to turn on several noise-making items in her room; her iHome, her television, and even her shower. The whole time, Alice looked at her in amazement.

Finally, Bella sat beside Alice and whispered, "Vampire hearing, silly. I don't want him to know we are talking about him."

Alice giggled and shook her head. "So then, tell me. How are things between you guys now?" she asked, grinning.

"Well, after… well, you know," Bella said bashfully. "We decided it was best if we just remained friends. It's better this way."

Her face contorting in confusion, Alice asked, "Really?"

"Yeah… why, Alice, what have you seen?" Bella asked skeptically.

Waving her hands in front of her face dismissively, Alice said, "Oh nothing, I just thought for sure things would have changed between you guys." Alice decided to file away her vision of Bella and Edward in a meadow. Maybe it was going to come to pass later rather than sooner.

At that moment, two floors below, Edward, who was trying not to pry – honestly, he was – saw a very brief encounter between himself and Bella in a meadow. If he had a beating heart, it would have skipped a beat with the possibility of that vision. Oh, what he would give to have his lips on Bella's once more.

8o8o8o8o8o8

Carlisle and Esme weren't gone too long; just enough to drain a few elk. Alice suggested that Edward and Bella go next. Edward was surprised by this suggestion, while Bella was just a tad leery of Alice and her manipulating ways. However, when she looked questioningly at Alice, Alice gave a feasible excuse.

"We need to get Bella's feeding out of the way in case my visions change and we need to make a move quickly." Yes, it was a feasible excuse, but when she didn't look Bella in the eye as she said it, Bella knew something was fishy.

Edward and Bella ran in silence out to Edward's favorite place. As they slowed their pace, Edward had an overwhelming realization: this was the place from Alice's vision. He caught himself smiling blissfully.

"Bella, I want you to know… I… well, I'll do everything in my power to protect you. I… won't let anything happen to you."

Shocked, Bella looked at him. "Wow… that's very… that's awfully sweet of you. I know… I mean, well… you don't have to feel responsible for me, you know. I was wrong for laying all of this at your feet. It's not entirely your fault for what I have become. You couldn't help it and I understand. I don't hold it against you any longer."

At that moment, Edward felt that he should pour his heart out to Bella. Well, minutely, at least. He placed his hands on her shoulders and spoke with conviction. "Bella… yes, I admit, I have felt responsible for you because of what I did to you, but that's not why I vow to protect you. I… well, I _feel _very protective of you, first of all, and also…" Edward took a deep breath and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. "I truly care for you. I mean it. It would kill me if anything happened to you."

Bella, quickly hiding behind her defenses, sardonically said, "Kill you? But you are already dead!" She snickered.

"_Un_dead, thank you," Edward said with a smirk.

Edward lessened his grasp on Bella's shoulders. He began to gently caress her collarbones with his thumbs. Never moving his gaze from her eyes, he slowly trailed his hands up her neck to softly cup her face. Edward heard Bella's breath hitch. Worried that he might have been presumptuous, Edward asked, "Bella… may I kiss you? Please?"

Unable to form any coherent words, she simply nodded.

The kiss was the sweetest kiss they had ever shared. Edward's lips barely touched hers, once, twice, three times. On the third time, her hands threaded into his hair and she pulled him closer, holding him there for a deeper, albeit still tender kiss. A sigh escaped his mouth when she teased his bottom lip with the tip of her tongue. He opened his mouth further, making room for her to fully enter. They both moaned as their tongues danced enthusiastically.

He made sure to keep his hands virtuous, so as to not evoke any sexual desires. Well, more so than usual. In that moment, he realized this was the exact vision he had caught a glimpse of back at the house.

Bella felt him smile against her lips and she pulled back to look at him questioningly.

"I'm sorry," Edward began. "But it's so… well, I have wanted to kiss you again ever since we… um… well, parted last time." He looked off over her shoulder, avoiding eye contact.

Smirking, Bella asked, "Is that all you wanted to do? Just kiss?" She knew he would have wanted more than that, and to be honest, in that moment in time, she wanted more than that as well. So much more.

"Um…" Still avoiding eye contact, Edward tried to decide how to answer. He didn't want her to know just how much more he wanted to do than kiss, but he could hear the teasing in her voice, and he was certain she must have been thinking along the same lines.

"Perhaps something that involves _other _body parts?" Bella wasted no time in showing Edward exactly _which_ body part she was suggesting as she lowered her hand to cup his erection.

"Oh Bella, you have no idea," he said breathlessly.

"Oh, I'm sure I _do._" In the blink of an eye, she was on her knees in front of him and he was more than stunned at what her intentions were.

He squeezed his eyes shut and moaned as he let his head fall back. He could feel the sun on his face as Bella lowered his zipper painstakingly slowly.

As soon as Bella dropped his pants and boxer briefs, he realized three seconds too late why this was an awful idea. Bella gasped loudly.

"Fuck!" Edward said, covering himself in embarrassment.

Bella swatted his hands away and as she trailed her fingers along his shaft she said, "It's beautiful!"

Edward snorted. "Yeah, right. You don't have to make fun, Bella, I know as well as anyone how humiliating this is."

"Edward, I'm serious. It really _is _beautiful. I'm not teasing. I swear!"

Edward looked at her in shock. "Really?"

She nodded. "You know what they say… diamonds are a girl's best friend."

Edward groaned and rolled his eyes, but before he had time to contemplate anything else, he felt her lips surround his dick.

Bella couldn't help the smile that spread across her face from rendering him speechless. She knew there was a way to shut up his cocky mouth. She also knew that she could do this for hours, she didn't need to breathe and every time Edward's hard cock hit the back of her throat she knew the other advantage: no gag reflex. Edward grew impossibly harder and she felt tingles rush through her body at the thought of having this effect on him.

"Ohhhhh, Bella." He slipped his fingers into her hair and moaned loudly. Edward tried and failed miserably to resist moving his hips.

_It wasn't like this with Tanya,_ he thought. He didn't really want to be thinking about Tanya, but she was the only one he could use as comparison since his becoming a vampire. With Tanya he wanted to be anywhere else. This was different, this was heaven.

Bella's mouth worked him into a frenzy. With every movement from base to tip, she swirled her tongue around him, causing the most delicious sensations. It was when she cupped his balls and squeezed a little more than gently that she pushed him over the edge.

"Fuuuck," he moaned out as he released into her mouth.

Bella started to rise to her feet, but Edward quickly knelt down in front of her, coming face to face with her. "Wait," he said, almost pleading.

She stared at him, dumbfounded.

He softly took her head into his hands, leaning in to kiss one cheek and then the other, staring deeply into her surprised eyes between kisses. This level of tenderness was new from Edward. Bella closed her eyes and released a breathy sigh as Edward lavished her with feather-light kisses to her forehead, to her eyelids, to her cheeks, only stopping to increase the pressure and pay extra attention to her fantastic lips.

Bella was lost in the feel of the gentle nips he placed against her erogenous flesh. He gradually lowered her to the ground with extreme care, as if she were made of glass. This time, everything was different. Things between them weren't rushed or aggressive. They were sweet, calm and…

_Loving?_

Edward continued to place affectionate kisses down the column of her neck, sliding the collar of her shirt to the side so he could give attention to her sexy collarbones. Her moans of approval urged him on as he began to fluidly unbutton her blouse. His knuckles grazed her sensitive nipples as he released another button, causing her to dig her nails into his back and moan loudly with a thrust of her hips.

Never quickening his movements, Edward finished removing her blouse, kissing a path behind his hands down her torso, stopping at her waistband. He trailed his tongue from one hipbone to the other, all the while delicately caressing her breasts as she tugged roughly on his hair.

"Edward…" Bella sighed.

He lowered his hands to her waist and began unbuttoning her jeans as he proceeded to pepper her stomach with gentle kisses. After unfastening her jeans, he slipped them down over her hips along with her panties, leaving her bare before him.

"Magnificent," he whispered, almost reverently.

Ever so slowly, he lowered his mouth and lightly kissed her _there_. She gasped and instinctively flinched. Smirking, Edward dipped his head and kissed her again, this time with an open mouth, following the kiss with a slow, firm stroke of his tongue.

Bella bucked her hips and cried out, "Oh God!"

Edward began moving his tongue against her sensitive flesh, causing her entire body to vibrate with shivers and tingles. The most erotic feelings began to erupt inside her, sending shocks of pleasure from the place his tongue twirled, plunged and teased, building the sensations she was feeling. The whole time she was digging into his scalp as she writhed beneath him. Finally, just when Bella wasn't sure she could take it any longer Edward intensified his movements until he brought her to an earth-shaking orgasm.

He slowly and sweetly kissed his way back up her body, paying special attention to where the curve of her shoulder met her slender neck, ghosting tentatively over the same spot with the tips of his fingers. A mixture of opposing emotions rushed through Bella when she realized he was kissing the place where he had sunk his teeth into her flesh, making her like him.

Her hands moved over Edward's strong, smooth skin from his waist to the back of his neck, tugging his face gently up until his mouth met hers in a heated kiss.

She lowered her hands and removed his shirt, shifting below him and raising her hips while using her feet to push Edward's jeans off his feet which had still been tangled around his ankles. She silently encouraged Edward to give her what she wanted and needed in that moment. Still kissing her, he positioned himself at her entrance and slowly entered her.

Bella gasped into his mouth as the feeling of him filling her made the heat and shivers begin to instantly build again. Edward held back as much as he could against the desire to increase the speed of his thrusts, knowing from how hard Bella came against his mouth that her climax would hit her harder if allowed to build slowly. He wanted that – oh how he wanted that – but even the thought of her coming hard made his dick twitch inside her and a deep guttural moan built in his chest.

Edward pulled his lips from Bella's as the moan became too much to hold back and he plunged deeply into her once again, growling next to her ear.

Bella's fingers tightened on Edward's ass, pulling him deeper over and over as her body felt as if it would shatter into pieces at any moment. She wiggled below his progressively erratic thrusts as their pants grew louder until finally Bella was overwhelmed by powerful waves of euphoria inside her and caused her hips to buck into Edward's.

Edward's body stiffened when he felt Bella cum and her body pulsed against his dick until he couldn't hold back and came inside her stronger than he knew was possible and collapsed onto her, breathing heavily. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he didn't need the air, but it was Bella's scent he took in with each breath, and Edward knew that he did, in fact, need _her_.

Bella sighed peacefully, coming down from her high and kissed Edward's shoulder lightly. It was then that she felt his open-mouth kiss against the spot on her neck again where he had taken her human life. His lips and his tongue moved over her skin and she felt the tremor of what felt like words being spoken. She heard it, too, but it was too low and muffled even for a vampire to make out, but Bella could have sworn Edward said, "I love you."

The two of them hurriedly redressed, knowing the Cullens were expecting them back quickly in order for the next pair to go hunt.

"Well, I don't know about you, but sex makes me hungry," Edward joked.

Bella laughed. "Don't you mean thirsty?"

Edward stuck out his tongue defiantly. "Whatever. Anyway, I bet money I can catch an elk faster than you and not only will I catch it faster, but it will be _bigger_ than the one you catch." He smirked and raised his eyebrows in challenge.

"You're on," Bella replied smugly.

Laughing, they both darted off in different directions.

Moments later, Edward spotted several elk. Zeroing in on the largest one, he began to stalk silently. Once he was 'in the zone', everything around him virtually disappeared. He was on the prowl and only one thing mattered – his kill. As he pounced, he was vaguely aware of a phone ringing somewhere in the distance.

Nearly a mile away, Bella, too, was mid-stalk when she was fairly certain she heard a phone ringing as well. However, once the venom rose, it was impossible to change course.

Had either of them been able to answer the phone, they would have been able to prevent what happened next.

Bella's teeth sank into the fibrous flesh of the mammal only seconds before a robust body barreled into her, grasping her by the waist and carrying her off into the distance at inhuman speed.

**I'd love to hear your thoughts ;)**


	13. Hell Hath No Fury

**So sorry for the delay. I had to reformat my computer, so I lost everything! Lucky for me, I had already had these chapters beta'd so my beta was able to just resend them to me. I will try to make up for the delay by posting another chapter very quickly – like in a day or two**.

Thanks, as always, to my LC – Alitriona/Eila, Allysue08, Rags88, and WhatObsession17! I love you guys tremendously!

SM owns.

**Hell Hath No Fury…**

Unfortunately, by the time Edward snapped out of his monomaniacal feeding frenzy and realized it was _his_ cell phone ringing in the distance, he was also made aware that he could no longer sense Bella nearby. He knew instantly something was wrong. Within an instant, he was answering the phone to a frantic Alice.

"Oh my God, Edward! It's too late! Where were you? Why weren't you answering your phone? She's gone! They have her! All of our preparation was for nothing! They snuck up on us anyway!"

Edward was already halfway to the back forty when Alice screamed for him to come to the house instead.

"Fuck that! I'm saving her. This is my fault! We know where she is, I'm gonna get her right now!" Edward screamed.

Edward was close enough to see the immediate vision alongside Alice.

_Bella's hanging from the rafters by her wrists. James and Victoria are standing nearby smiling wickedly as they watch out the window to see Edward coming into view. No sooner than he becomes visible, a wooden stake catapults toward him from a nearby tree. The next action thoroughly shocks them both. The stake penetrates Edward's skin, stopping him in his tracks. Within seconds he collapses on the forest floor. James and Victoria are at his side instantly, laughing as they grab him and drag him back to the barn. _

"_I told you it would work. I knew he would come for her," James says smugly._

"What the hell?" Edward said as he stood there frozen.

"Dead man's blood. It's the only explanation. How did they know?" Alice asked, whispering.

Edward could hear Carlisle in the background say, "James has been around for a long time. If he wasn't left to fend for himself when he was turned, his sire would have warned him about dead man's blood. It isn't taught much anymore because no one takes on their responsibility as a sire anymore."

"Edward, you _have_ to come back here. We need to figure out another way. The whole thing was a trap. It's all just to get to you. It wasn't for her at all." Alice was freaked out.

Edward was already on his way back as he listened to Carlisle and Jasper deliberate about what it could possibly mean and how they could change the course of the vision.

"Well, obviously, Edward will have to stay behind first of all," Jasper began.

"Over my dead… man, I need a new fucking phrase," Edward mumbled. "Anyway, I don't fucking think so. I'm going, end of story."

Carlisle tried to reason with him. "Listen, Edward… I know you care about Bella, but ultimately, this was a trap for _YOU_, not her, so it makes perfect sense for you to stay behind to keep the trap from working."

Edward had come close enough so he could close his phone and continue the conversation. "Look, we know where the stake is, so simple solution: come from the opposite direction. Alice?"

Alice concentrated and didn't see any negative outcome using that scenario. "Well, it _should_ work… but…"

"But?" Edward asked.

"Well… I think they somehow know how to trick my visions. Think about it. I'm just not sure how much we can rely on my visions in this case."

"Let's put it this way. I'm going. You guys can come or you can stay behind. Regardless, I'm not screwing up anymore when it comes to Bella."

"But Edward… what if _going_ screws up everything?" Emmett asked.

"Guys…" Edward sighed and decided to just put it out there. "Look… I… I love her," he whispered.

Alice squealed and clapped her hands. "It's about time, you nincompoop! You finally admitted it to yourself!"

Edward walked in the door, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "So you see? I have to go. I mean… honestly, Jazz… what if it was Alice?"

Jasper nodded in agreement. "No one would keep me away."

Alice wrapped her arms around Jasper's neck and whined, "Oh Jazzy! I love you so much!" She kissed him sweetly and then pulled her face back, giving him a reprimanding look. "But you know this is freaking stupid, right?"

Jasper chuckled. "Well, love is stupid sumtimes, huh? Yer my better half. I couldn't live without ya. And yer life in sumone else's hands? Sorry, I don't think so." He smiled sadly.

"Well, as sweet as all of this is, if we don't dock the Love Boat, Bella is never gonna be rescued," Rosalie said snidely.

Grinning, Alice said, "Aww, Rosie! I thought you didn't care! You _do_ have a soft spot for her, don't you?"

Rosalie huffed and rolled her eyes. "Whatever, I just wanna kick that red head's ass!"

Emmett pumped his fist and boomed, "Chick fight! And with my sexy bitch doing the ass kickin'! It doesn't get any better'n this!"

Rosalie slapped Emmett on the shoulder. "Hey! What did I tell you about calling me your bitch?"

Hanging his head, Emmett mumbled, "I'm sorry, baby."

Edward and Jasper both fake coughed and mumbled, "Pussy-whipped."

Emmett's head snapped up. "Hell yeah! It's the best damn pussy around! You better believe I'm whipped by it!"

You could hear everyone snickering as Rosalie said, "Anyway, that's if Bella hasn't torn her apart already. I mean, look at what she did to Eddie boy while she was still human! I'm still not sure who was in more danger that day."

Edward chuckled and nodded as he remembered the little spitfire using her martial arts against a vampire.

Esme then spoke up. "Okay guys, we really need to formulate a plan. Bella is in danger and whether or not she can get out of it is still yet to be seen, so what are we gonna do?"

8o8o8o8o8o8

It didn't take them long to come up with a strategy that they were fairly certain would work. Once they made their decisions on how to proceed, Alice's visions showed no difficulties, so they had high hopes that everything would go as planned.

Armed and ready, they all hopped in Emmett's Escalade and headed toward the barn, only they went wide in order to come around the back undetected. They had decided it was best to park out of hearing distance and run the rest of the way for the best chance of a sneak attack – knowing a true surprise attack was not possible when dealing with vampires. However, they also knew they had the home-team advantage. Should James and Victoria make a last minute decision to run, the Cullens knew the surrounding area far better than they did – even after James' short stay with them.

Everyone had already slammed their doors and bolted in the direction of the barn before Emmett had even shut off the engine. Knowing they had limited time before they would be detected, they ran stealthily at full speed – weapons in hand – toward Bella.

Being the fastest, Edward still managed to reach the barn first, but coming from a different direction – thanks to Alice's vision – he missed the trap entirely. He barreled through the back door of the barn like a rocket, busting it to shreds as he did so.

In a split second two things happened to Edward: he heard Bella calling his name, but he had to force himself against instinct to not rush to her, and James and Victoria composed themselves enough to ambush him, attempting to rip him to shreds. There were arms and teeth everywhere as they tried in vain to grab hold of Edward. He was far too quick and far too lithe and – being a newborn – far too strong for them to do much damage in the short time they had. In the midst of their fury, they hadn't even realized Edward had company in the form of six angry vampires, only seconds behind him.

Rosalie and Alice crashed into Victoria while Emmett and Jasper hurled themselves at James. Esme, as planned, was releasing Bella from her restraints and Carlisle tried to look her over to see if she was harmed. However, holding her still long enough to do so was incredibly difficult, because, just like Edward, Bella was still a newborn, with all the strength of a newborn. And Bella was out for blood – so to speak.

Bella charged toward James, growling and baring her teeth for attack, but Emmett was struggling to keep hold of him as he squirmed beneath his grasp. Just as Bella was within reach of her target, James pulled all his weight forward, Emmett shifted slightly as well, in the very moment Bella's teeth, dripping with venom, came down like razor blades in what would have been a savage attack on James, except Emmett's movement put one of his bulging arms directly in her path, causing her teeth to penetrate _his_ skin rather than James'.

"Shit Bella! That effin' hurt!" he grumbled.

Emmett inadvertently loosened his grip and James tried to escape. He managed to get about two feet before slamming into Edward. James snarled and Edward, furious at James' attempt to take what belonged to him, snarled right back. Unperturbed, James reached his hands up to grab hold of Edward's shoulders before his expression morphed into one of shock. He stared wide-eyed at Edward, just inches from his face, and then went weak and slumped to the ground, leaving Edward standing above him holding the blade, dipped in dead man's blood, which he had just stabbed into James' gut.

_He's lucky I didn't decide to use it on a different body part of his,_ Edward thought as he remembered the vision Alice had of James touching Bella. He didn't dismiss the idea completely, just in case Bella was hurt in anyway.

Seeing James go limp, Victoria submitted in fear. She knew she was outnumbered and resistance was futile. Still, Bella needed retribution, so she drew her arm back and punched Victoria square in the face.

Victoria, afraid to retaliate, sank to the ground, cowering in fear. Worse still was the humiliation that this was her own doing. If she had never sired Edward, none of this would have happened. She knew she would be the laughing stock of the vampire community if word got out that she was defeated by a bunch of veggie-vamps.

Emmett laughed heartily. "Nice one, little Bell!"

Seeing the situation under control, Edward rushed over to Bella and wrapped his arms tightly around her, whispering in her ear, "I was so worried. Thank God you're safe." At the same time, he attempted to inconspicuously check her for injury by running his hands up her back and down her arms. He knew Victoria would need more than a few vampires to help her if she had hurt Bella.

Bella knew exactly what Edward was doing and was taken by surprise by his concern and his actions, but she returned the gesture, thanking him with a smile for coming to her rescue.

"What are we going to do with these guys?" Jasper asked Carlisle.

Carlisle rubbed his chin in thought, while the others stood around waiting for his guidance. "Let's take them back to the house and consider our options."

8o8o8o8o8o8

"I really don't want to involve the Volturi, and I have no desire to kill, but I honestly have no idea what other options we have. They will always be a threat to us and our family." Carlisle contemplated all the choices they had, still no closer to a solution than when he began.

"I swear… I swear you'll never see me again. I don't know about James, but I will never come back. You have my word. Please, just let me go. Please!" Victoria begged.

Still groggy with the traces of dead man's blood in his system, James laughed and began taunting her. "You are so pathetic! This is all _your_ fault!" he slurred. "_You _are the moron who changed Edward and left him to run off to these herbivore suckers. You are the one who was pissed when I told you where he was and how he ended up. And you are gonna go and say you'll never come back and they have _your_ word? HA!"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Victoria shouted, standing up. "You hang on just a minute! This was all _your_ idea! You wanted that brown-haired bimbo so bad you couldn't see straight! _YOU_ came up with the plan of trapping her so Edward would come to her rescue and you could kill him!"

Edward looked toward Carlisle and motioned toward the blade he was still carrying, indicating that he should immobilize them before things got out of hand.

_I have a vial filled with dead man's blood. I can insert it into his wound before it fully heals if necessary. There's no more need for stabbing. _Carlisle mentally chuckled at Edward's pouting face.

Regrettably, during Carlisle and Edward's silent conversation, James had gained enough strength to stand to his feet, break the chair he was sitting on and swing the leg as if it were a ball bat, knocking Victoria upside her head.

Carlisle and Edward jumped into action. With both of them having their attention on James, Victoria was able to catch Carlisle off guard and knock the syringe out of his hand. She caught it before it hit the ground, but in that same instant, she raised her hand and shoved the entire syringe into James' mouth, busting it and forcing him to swallow the entire vial of dead man's blood.

James reached up, taking Victoria's head between his hands, and with his last bit of strength, he ripped her head from her body. Both of them fell in a heap to the floor.

Everyone stared open-mouthed at what had just happened.

"Well, I guess we have nothing to consider anymore," Emmett said quietly.

"Wait, won't James wake up when the dead man's blood wears off?" Bella asked.

"Um… no." Carlisle said, as he inspected James' body. "It appears Victoria shoved the syringe into his throat with such force it severed his spine, detaching his head from his body."

"Oh, that's… disgusting," Bella said, wincing.

Rosalie huffed. "You chase down and drain Bambi and _he's_ been trying to hunt down Simba for weeks," she said, pointing to Edward. "And here you think tearing off a sick vampire's head is disgusting? You are a strange being, Bella."

Bella pouted. "Well, it's better than chasing down humans. Besides, as a human I ate animals, so what's the difference?"

Chuckling, Carlisle motioned toward Emmett and Jasper. "Let's go dispose of these guys."

Emmett slung James over his shoulder, pocketed the Zippo lying on the fireplace mantle, and followed Carlisle out the door with Jasper carrying Victoria behind him.

Shyly, Bella asked, "How do they 'dispose' of them?" including air quotes at the appropriate time.

"You have to burn them. They don't decompose," Alice explained.

"Oh," was Bella's articulate response.

Edward came up beside Bella, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and whispered into her ear, "Are you okay? This was one helluva day, wasn't it? I'm so sorry I didn't protect you from that sick bastard."

Bella snorted. "You? What about me? ! I didn't even notice they were around until they captured me. I'm a sorry excuse for a vampire."

"No you aren't. You were still post-coital, it's quite understandable." Edward smirked.

"Ew. It's bad enough I have to _see_ your shenanigans in my freaking visions, can you please not make me listen to the post-coital debriefing, too?" Alice whined.

"You started this, Alice," Edward reminded her.

"And besides, debriefing sounds good to me," Bella remarked with a playful wink to Edward.

Alice rolled her eyes and started walking away.

"Where are you going?" Edward asked teasingly.

"I'm off to see if we are stocking any brain bleach, I think I've created a monster," Alice called back, chuckling to herself.

At that time, Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett came walking back into the house.

"Well, I think I'm ready for a L4D2 match! Whaddya say boys?" Emmett asked, rubbing his hands together with a wicked smile.

"Well, Jazzy and I need to go hunt real quick first. I know it's not needed anymore, but it's been a few days for all of us, so I think it's best," Alice explained.

Edward smirked. "Whatever. It was the debriefing. Now you need some alone time." Edward snorted when Alice looked at him in shock.

Jasper bit the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning as he mentally told Edward he was right.

Edward busted out laughing as he went to sit on the couch with Emmett to play the Xbox.

"Yeah, we should go when they get back, Emmett," Rosalie said as she took Esme's vase of flowers to the kitchen to fill them with fresh water.

"Nah, I'm not really hungry today," Emmett answered.

Without warning, a crash was heard from the kitchen. Completely shocked from the action, Esme and Carlisle darted toward Rosalie to see what had caused a vampire with impeccable reflexes to allow something to drop and shatter.

Rosalie was standing in the middle of the kitchen, still as a statue, hands still held in front of her as if she were grasping the vase that lay in pieces at her feet.

"Rosalie? What is it?" Esme asked in concern.

"He… it's… what… how?"

Carlisle and Esme exchanged troubled glances. "What's the matter, Rosalie?" Carlisle asked.

"Something's wrong. He's never… something's wrong."

Carlisle furrowed his brow. "Something's wrong with whom?"

"Em. He's… he's _not_ hungry," she said bleakly.

Carlisle grinned and said, "Well, you know, Rose, that doesn't mean something's _wrong_ with him. Granted, it's out of character for Emmett, it doesn't mean something is actually wrong."

Rosalie looked at him in disbelief. "Carlisle… this is EMMETT we're talking about, here! He has never, ever, _ever_ turned down a meal. In fact, he is usually ready to hunt long before I ever am!"

Emmett came walking into the kitchen, put his arm around Rosalie and said, "Oh come on! Can't a guy just enjoy his time playing Xbox and not be hungry?"

Esme, Bella, and Edward all said emphatically, "NO!"

Rosalie called Jasper, telling him to turn around immediately; she needed him and Alice right away.

A few moments later Jasper and Alice came walking in.

"Is it true? Is he really not hungry? Please tell me he's just distracted? Or… I don't even know what would be a good excuse for him to turn down food!"

"I…" Jasper looked at Emmett in astonishment. "Never in mah whole life… well, mah whole life around y'all… have I ever been 'round Emmett an' him have absolutely _no_ thirst. Yeah, thars definitely sumthin' wrong with him, Carlisle."

Emmett laughed. "Man, you guys… I'm not _that_ bad!"

"YES YOU ARE!" almost everyone responded together.

"So, you really have _no_ hunger at all right now?" Carlisle asked Emmett.

"Nope," he said defiantly.

"Interesting." Carlisle tapped his chin as he began thinking of what it could possibly mean. "Well, let's just give this a few days and see what transpires. Maybe it's just a fluke, who knows?"

8o8o8o8o8o8

Three days had passed. Emmett hadn't felt like feeding once, but to ease his wife's worries, he feigned hunger and went hunting with her. _She_ felt better, but Emmett had begun to worry by this point. He knew she was right and he never went that long without feeding.

"Hey, Em? That new Steve Carell movie came out today, you wanna go to the movies?" Rosalie asked excitedly.

"Sure, babe. Whatever you want."

Once they were close enough to town to smell the inhabitants, Emmett knew something was seriously wrong. He wasn't one to struggle with abstaining from human blood per se, but just like everyone else in the family, the smell of their blood was very appetizing. They had just learned to avoid it, just like someone who is lactose intolerant would avoid a mouth-watering milkshake. But at that very moment, Emmett realized human blood held absolutely _no_ appeal for him.

"Rosie… I think we need to talk to Carlisle."

**Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts ;)**


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